UC-NRLF 


*•<>  : 


SOUGHING  IT  SERJ£ii. 


GEORGE  AT  THE  FORT 


OR, 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  SOLDIERS. 


BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON, 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  GUNBOAT  SERIES,"  "THE  SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  SERIES," 
"THE  BOY  TRAPPER  SERIES,"  ETC. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PORTER    &    COATES. 


FAMOUS  CASTLEMON  BOOKS. 

Each  volume  handsomely  illustrated  and  bound  in  fine  extra 
cloth,  black  and-  f/old  stamp.     16mo. 


GUNBOAT  SERIES.     6  vols. 

FRANK  THE  YOUNG  NATURALIST.  FRANK  ON  THE  PRAIRIE. 

FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.  FRANK  IN  THE  WOODS. 

FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG.  FRANK  ON  A  GUNBOAT. 

ROCKY  MOUNTAIN    SERIES.     3  vols. 
FRANK  AMONG  THE  RANCHEROS. 
FRANK  AT  DON  CARLOS'  RANCHO. 
FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  SERIES.     3  vols. 
THE  SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  IN  THE  SADDLE. 
THE  SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  AFLOAT. 
Tin:  SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  AMONG  THE  TRAPPERS. 

PRANK  NELSON  SERIES.     3  vols. 

SNOWED  UP;  OR,  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

FRANK  NELSON  IN  THE  FORECASTLE. 

THE  BOY  TRADERS  ;  OR,  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  AMONG  THE  BOEUS. 

BOY  TRAPPER  SERIES.     3  vols. 

THE  BURIED  TREASURE;  OR,  OLD  JORDAN'S  HAUNT. 
THE  BOY  TRAPPER  ;  OR,  How  DAVE  FILLED  THE  ORDKR. 
THE  MAIL-CARRIER. 

ROUGHING  IT  SERIES.     3  vols. 

GEORGE  IN  CAMP;  OR,  LIFE  ON  THE  PLAINS. 

GEORGE  AT  THE  WHEEL;  OR,  LIFE  IN  A  PILOT  HOUSE. 

GEORGE  AT  THE  FORT;  OR,  LIFE  AMONG  THE  SOLDIERS. 

GO  AHEAD  SERIES.     3  vols. 

Go  AHEAD;  OR,  THE  FISHER  BOY'S  MOTTO. 

No  Moss;  OR,  THE  CAREER  OF  A  ROLLING  STONE. 

TOM  NEWCOMBE;  OR,  THE  BOY  OF  BAD  HABITS. 


Other  Volumes  in  Preparation, 

COPYRIGHT,  1882,  BY  PORTER  &  COATES. 


(IMS 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAGE 


DISCONTENTED  RECRUITS 


CHAPTER  II. 
AN  OLD  FRIEND  TURNS  UP  .......................................    24 

CHAPTER  III. 
BOB'S  FIRST  COMMAND  .............................................    45 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  PERILOUS  UNDERTAKING  .......................................    66 

CHAPTER  V. 
THE  NEW  SCOUT  ......................................................    90 

CHAPTER  VI. 
AN  UNEXPECTED  GUEST  ...........................................  113 

CHAPTER  VII. 

How  BRYANT  WAS  CAPTURED  ...............  .  ...................  137 

3 

M152541 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEE  VIII. 

PAGE 

GEORGE  AT  THE  FORT 159 

CHAPTEE  IX. 
WHAT  GEORGE  KNEW  ABOUT  TRAILING 179 

CHAPTEE  X. 
How  GEORGE  SAVED  THE  CAMP 200 

CHAPTEE  XI. 
TELEGRAPHING  BY  SMOKES 222 

CHAPTEE  XII. 
ANOTHER  FEATHER  FOR  BOB'S  CAP 242 

CHAPTEE  XIII. 
HE  WINS  IT  FAIRLY 262 

CHAPTEE  XIV. 
"THREE  CHEERS  FOR  THE  'BRINDLES'!" 282 

CHAPTEE  XV. 
MORE  BAD  LUCK  FOR  MR.  WENTWORTH 303 

CHAPTEE  XVI. 
CONCLUSION ..  327 


GEORGE  AT  THE  FOKT. 


CHAPTER    I. 

DISCONTENTED  KECKUITS. 

"  pi  APTAIN,  this  thing  must  be  stopped.  I  say 
^  it  must  be  stopped,  even  if  we  have  to  resort 
to  summary  measures.  We  must  find  out  who  the 
ringleaders  are,  and  make  an  example  of  them." 

The  speaker  was  Colonel  Brown,  the  command 
ing  officer  of  Fort  Lamoine.  As  he  uttered  these 
emphatic  words  he  slammed  a  paper-weight  down 
upon  a  pile  of  reports  which  the  adjutant  had  just 
brought  in,  and,,  settling  back  in  his  chair,  looked 
sharply  at  the  officer  who  stood  in  front  of  the 
table.  The  red  sash  the  latter  wore  around  his 
waist  proclaimed  him  to  be  the  officer  of  the  day. 

"  How  many  did  you  say  there  were  in  the  party 
who  deserted  last  night?"  continued  the  colonel. 

"  Seven,  sir,"  replied  the  officer  of  the  day,  "  and 
there  is  a  list  of  their  names.  They  took  no  horses 


6  GEORGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

with  them,  but  they  each  secured  a  carbine  and  a 
box  of  cartridges." 

"  That  makes  thirty  men  who  have  deserted  since 
I  took  command  of  this  post/'  said  the  colonel,  an 
grily,  "  and  not  more  than  half  of  them  have  been 
captured. — Orderly,  tell  Corporal  Owens  I  want  to 
see  him.  He  is  one  of  the  few  non-commissioned 
officers  in  the  command  whom  I  am  not  afraid  to 
trust. — Captain,  have  six  picked  men,  with  two 
days'  rations,  detailed  to  go  with  him  in  pursuit  of 
these  deserters.  He  can  find  and  arrest  them  if 
anybody  can." 

The  officer  of  the  day  closed  the  door  of  the  col 
onel's  headquarters  behind  him,  and  in  a  few  min 
utes  the  orderly  opened  it  again  to  admit  a  sturdy 
young  soldier,  about  eighteen  years  old,  who  wore 
upon  his  arms  the  yellow  chevrons  of  a  corporal  of 
cavalry.  This  was  Bob  Owens — the  boy  who  stole 
the  mail-carrier's  hard-earned  money  and  ran  away 
from  home  to  enjoy  it.  He  had  not  changed  much 
in  appearance.  He  had  grown  taller  and  his  shoul 
ders  were  broader,  but  any  one  who  had  known  him 
before  he  entered  the  army  would  have  recognized 
him  now.  The  fact  that  he  had  been  selected  to 
perform  the  hazardous  duty  of  pursuing  and  arrest- 


DISCONTENTED    KECRUITS.  7 

ing  the  deserters  who  had  left  the  fort  the  night 
before  fully  armed,  and  who  would  not  hesitate  to 
make  a  desperate  resistance  rather  than  allow  them 
selves  to  be  taken  back  to  stand  the  punishment  that 
would  be  inflicted  upon  them  by  a  court-martial,  and 
the  colonel's  declaration  that  he  was  one  of  the  few 
non-commissioned  officers  in  the  command  whom  he 
was  not  afraid  to  trust,  seemed  to  indicate  that  our 
old  friend  Bob  had  won  a  reputation  since  he  en 
listed  in  Galveston,  nearly  a  year  ago,  and  done 
something  to  win  the  confidence  of  his  superiors. 
Let  us  go  back  and  see  what  it  was. 

The  last  time  we  saw  Bob  Owens  he  was  just 
coming  out  of  a  recruiting- office,  having  enlisted  in 
the  regular  cavalry  and  sworn  away  his  liberty  for 
a  long  term  of  years.  He  did  not  take  this  step  of 
his  own  free  will,  but  was  driven  to  it  by  force  of 
circumstances. 

When  Bob  found  Dan  Evans  in  his  camp  in  the 
woods  and  stole  from  him  the  money  that  David, 
with  Dan  and  Bert  Gordon's  assistance,  had  earned 
by  trapping  quails,  he  ran  away  from  home,  and 
after  escaping  from  the  constable  who  arrested  him 
at  Linwood  on  suspicion  of  being  a  horse-thief  he 
took  passage  on  board  the  steamer  Sam  Kendall 


8  GEORGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

for  St.  Louis.  While  he  was  on  the  steamer 
he  made  the  acquaintance  of  George  Ackerman, 
who  was  one  of  the  pilots,  and  whom  he  twice 
saved  from  drowning.  George  owned  an  exten 
sive  cattle-ranche  in  Texas,  which  was  held  in 
trust  for  him  by  his  uncle,  John  Ackerman,  who 
was  his  guardian.  After  the  Sam  Kendall  was 
burned  he  tried  to  show  his  gratitude  to  his  pre 
server,  whom  he  believed  to  be  alone  in  the  world, 
by  offering  him  a  home  at  his  house.  At  first  Bob 
was  inclined  to  refuse.  His  imagination  having 
been  excited  by  the  cheap  novels  he  had  read,  he 
had  left  home  intending  to  go  on  the  Plains  and 
make  himself  famous  as  a  hunter  and  Indian- 
fighter;  but  George,  who  had  seen  more  than  one 
professional  hunter  in  his  frontier  home,  said  so 
much  against  it,  and  painted  the  poverty  and 
worthlessness  of  this  class  of  men,  and  the  dangers 
of  the  life  they  led,  in  such  gloomy  colors,  that  Bob 
was  finally  induced  to  give  up  his  long-cherished 
idea,  and  to  consent  to  accompany  his  new  friend  to 
his  home  in  Texas.  As  George  had  no  money,  Bob 
footed  all  their  bills,  and  in  due  time,  in  spite  of  the 
efforts  which  Uncle  John  Ackerman  made  to  sepa- 
them  in  New  Orleans,  they  arrived  in  Galveston, 


DISCONTENTED    RECRUITS.         .  9 

They  had  scarcely  stepped  ashore  before  theii 
troubles  began  in  earnest.  Bob's  pocket  was  pick 
ed  while  he  was  passing  through  the  crowd  on  the 
wharf,  and  the  boys  found  themselves  alone  in  a 
strange  city,  without  money  enough  in  their  posses 
sion  to  pay  for  supper  or  lodging,  and  no  friend 
to  whom  they  could  go  for  assistance.  They  spent 
the  night  on  the  streets,  keeping  constantly  in  mo 
tion  to  avoid  attracting  the  attention  of  the  police, 
and  when  morning  came  they  found  a  good-natured 
grocer  who  gave  them  a  breakfast  of  crackers  and 
cheese,  and  provided  George  with  the  means  of 
writing  to  Mr  Gilbert  for  money  to  pay  his  fare 
and  Bob's  by  rail  and  stage-coach  to  Palos.  If 
they  could  only  reach  that  place,  their  troubles 
would  be  over,  for  George  was  well  known  there, 
and  everybody  would  be  ready  to  lend  him  and  his 
new  friend  a  helping  hand.  But  Mr.  Gilbert  lived 
a  long  way  from  Galveston,  the  mail  facilities  be 
tween  Palos  and  his  rancho  were  none  of  the  best, 
and  the  boys  were  utterly  at  a  loss  to  determine 
how  they  were  going  to  exist  during  the  two  or 
three  weeks  that  must  elapse  before  George  could 
receive  an  answer  to  his  letter. 

The  two  friends  passed  the  day  in  roaming  about 


10  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

the  city  looking  for  work,  but  nobody  needed  them. 
When  the  afternoon  began  drawing  to  a  close  they 
were  almost  tired  out,  and  George  talked  of  going 
to  some  station-house  to  spend  the  night — a  proj 
ect  to  which  Bob  could  not  bear  to  listen.  The 
idea  of  having  a  policeman's  key  turned  upon  him 
was  dreadful  ;  the  bare  thought  of  it  was  enough 
to  make  him  gasp  for  breath.  As  he  walked  along 
the  streets  he  was  continually  searching  his  pockets 
in  the  faint  hope  of  finding  the  missing  money 
tucked  away  in  some  unexplored  corner,  and  finally 
he  discovered  fifty  cents  in  currency  in  the  watch- 
pocket  of  his  trousers.  His  heart  bounded  at  the 
sight  of  it.  It  was  enough  to  provide  him  with 
supper  and  a  night's  lodging,  but  was  not  enough 
to  pay  for  the  same  comforts  for  George. 

When  Bob  found  this  stray  piece  of  currency  he 
was  not  long  in  making  up  his  mind  how  to  act. 
He  resolved  to  slip  away  from  George,  and  accom 
plished  his  purpose  by  gradually  slackening  his  pace 
and  allowing  the  young  pilot  to  get  some  distance 
in  advance  of  him,  and  then  he  turned  down  a 
cross-street  and  took  to  his  heels.  He  made  his 
way  to  a  cheap  lodging-house,  ate  a  hearty  supper 
and  went  to  bed,  wondering  how  George  was  get- 


DISCONTENTED    RECRUITS.  11 

ting  on  and  where  he  would  pass  the  night.  The 
latter,  as  we  know,  fared  much  better  than  Bob  did, 
and  the  latter  made  a  great  mistake  in  deserting 
him.  His  companion  had  not  been  gone  more 
than  a  half  an  hour  before  George  encountered  Mr. 
Gilbert,  the  friend  to  whom  he  had  written  that 
morning,  and  who  had  come  to  Galvestou  on  bus 
iness.  The  two  looked  everywhere  for  Bob,  but 
were  finally  obliged  to  abandon  the  search.  The 
missing  boy  had  disappeared  as  completely  as 
though  the  earth  had  opened  and  swallowed  him 
up. 

The  first  question  that  forced  itself  upon  the  mind 
of  Bob  Owens  when  he  awoke  the  next  morning 
was,  "  What  shall  I  do  next  ?  A  careful  examina 
tion  of  all  his  pockets  showed  him  that  there  were 
no  more  fifty-cent  pieces  in  them,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  confess  to  himself  that  the  future  looked  exceed 
ingly  dark.  He  walked  the  streets  in  a  very  dis 
consolate  frame  of  mind,  and  had  almost  decided 
that  he  would  step  into  the  nearest  grocery-store  and 
ask  the  proprietor  if  he  would  not  give  him  a  job 
of  sawing  wood  to  pay  for  something  to  eat,  when 
he  happened  to  pass  a  recruiting-office.  A  sign 
posted  up  in  front  of  the  door  conveyed  to  the 


12  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

public  the  information  that  men  were  wanted  there 
for  the  United  States  cavalry  service,  and  suggested 
an  idea  to  Bob.  He  took  a  few  minutes  in  which 
to  run  it  over  in  his  mind,  and  then  faced  about 
and  entered  the  office. 

The  law  against  enlisting  minors  without  the 
consent  of  their  parents  or  guardians  is  very  strict, 
but  Bob  got  around  it  by  repeating  the  story  he 
had  told  George  Ackerman,  that  he  was  an  orphan, 
and  that  there  was  no  one  who  had  a  right  to  con 
trol  his  actions.  The  recruiting-officer  was  a  young 
man,  not  more  than  two  or  three  years  older  than 
himself,  but  he  had  seen  service  away  up  in  the 
Yellowstone  country,  and  the  scar  on  his  forehead, 
which  was  not  yet  fully  healed,  marked  the  track 
of  the  Indian  bullet  which  had  come  very  near 
putting  an  end  to  his  career  as  a  soldier.  Being 
unable  to  do  duty  in  the  field,  he  had  been  sent  to 
Texas  to  recuperate  his  health  and  to  recruit  men 
to  fill  up  some  of  the  depleted  cavalry  regiments. 
He  questioned  Bob  very  closely,  but  the  latter  gave 
satisfactory  replies,  and,  having  passed  the  surgeon, 
his  "descriptive  list"  was  taken  and  he  was  duly 
sworn  into  the  service.  There  were  a  number  of 
newly-enlisted  men  hanging  about  the  office  wait- 


DISCONTENTED    RECRUITS.  13 

ing  to  be  ordered  to  some  post,  and  one  of  them, 
who  acted  as  quartermaster-sergeant,  took  Bob  into 
a  back  room  and  served  out  a  uniform  to  him. 

"  What  shall  I  do  with  my  citizen's  rig  ?"  asked 
Bob  as  he  twisted  himself  first  on  one  side  and  then 
on  the  other  to  see  how  he  looked  in  his  new  clothes. 
"  I  suppose  I  can't  keep  it  ?" 

"  Of  course  not,"  was  the  sergeant's  quick  reply. 
"  It  would  come  too  handy  in  case  you  should  make 
up  your  mind  to  desert." 

"  I  shall  never  make  up  my  mind  to  any  such 
thing,"  exclaimed  Bob,  indignantly.  "  I  have  gone 
into  this  business  with  my  eyes  open,  and  I  am  go 
ing  to  see  it  through." 

"  That's  the  right  spirit,"  said  the  sergeant.  "  But 
wait  till  you  have  ridden  twelve  hundred  miles  at  a 
stretch  in  pursuit  of  a  band  of  hostiles,  and  per 
haps  you'll  weaken." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  hostiles  ?"  asked  Bob. 

"  Well,  I  should  think  I  ought  to  know  all  about 
them,  for  I  have  been  there.  This  is  my  third  en 
listment  in  the  regular  army." 

"  Is  that  so?"  exclaimed  Bob.  "  I  should  think 
that  after  so  many  years'  service  you  ought  to  be  an 
officer." 


14  GEORGE    AT   THE    PORT. 

"  I  was  a  non-com,  when  I  was  discharged,  and 
that  is  as  high  as  any  enlisted  man  can  get  now," 
replied  the  soldier.  "  I  was  a  captain  during  the 
war,  but  they  don't  take  men  out  of  the  ranks  and 
make  officers  of  them  any  more.  When  I  enlisted 
this  time  I  had  to  go  in  as  a  private;  but  I  have 
my  old  warrants  in  my  pocket,  and  perhaps  they 
will  help  me  get  a  new  one  when  I  reach  the  post 
where  I  am  to  serve." 

"  What's  a  non-com.  ?"  asked  Bob. 

"  Why,  a  non-com  missioned  officer,"  answered 
the  soldier,  staring  at  Bob  as  if  he  were  surprised 
at  his  ignorance.  "  You  never  did  any  soldiering, 
I'll  bet." 

"  No,  I  never  did,"  replied  the  recruit ;  "  this  is 
my  first  experience." 

"  And  before  you  get  through  with  it  you  will 
wish  that  you  had  never  had  any  experience  at 
all." 

"  Don't  you  think  I  shall  like  the  army  ?" 

"  Well,  I  know  I  don't  like  it." 

"  Then  why  did  you  enlist  again  ?" 

"Because  I  couldn't  do  anything  else.  A  man 
who  has  soldiered  for  nearly  fourteen  years  isn't  fit 
for  civil  life.  Now,  make  your  citizen's  clothes 


DISCONTENTED    RECEUITS.  15 

into  a  bundle  and  take  them  around  the  corner  to 
a  little  Jew  store  you  will  find  there.  Mose  buys 
all  the  recruits'  cast-off'  clothing.  He'll  not  give 
you  much  for  them,  but  the  little  he  will  give  you 
will  keep  you  in  gingerbread  as  long  as  you  stay 
in  the  city." 

"  How  long  do  you  suppose  that  will  be  ?" 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know,  but  if  recruits  keep 
coming  in  as  rapidly  as  they  have  during  the  last 
few  days,  the  lieutenant  will  probably  take  a  squad 
off  next  week." 

"  Where  will  he  take  it  ?" 

"That's  a  conundrum.  A  private  never  knows 
where  he  is  going  until  he  gets  there." 

"  Where  do  you  cat  and  sleep  ?" 

"  We  take  our  meals  at  the  restaurant  next  door, 
and  having  no  bunks  we  sleep  on  the  benches  in 
the  office.  You  can  go  about  the  city  as  much  as 
you  please,  but  you  must  be  sure  and  report  at 
meal-time.  If  you  fail  to  do  that,  you  will  have 
the  police  after  you." 

"Why  will  I?"  asked  Bob  in  surprise. 

"Because  the  lieutenant  will  think  you  have 
deserted." 

Bob  was  "beginning  to  feel  the  tight  rp'n  of  mil- 


16  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

itary  discipline  already.  At  home  he  had  always 
been  accustomed  to  go  and  come  when  he  pleased, 
and  he  did  not  like  the  idea  of  having  his  liberty 
restricted  or  of  being  obliged  to  obey  without 
question  the  orders  of  a  boy  scarcely  older  than 
himself.  But  it  was  too  late  to  think  of  that 
now.  The  youthful  officer  was  backed  up  by  the 
entire  military  and  police  force  of  the  United 
States,  and  there  was  no  such  thing  as  getting  out 
of  reach  of  his  authority. 

"  I  am  in  for  it,"  thought  Bob  as  he  rolled  up 
his  clothes  and  started  for  the  little  Jew  store 
around  the  corner,  "but  I  don't  know  that  I  could 
have  done  anything  else.  I  shall  have  plenty  to 
eat  and  a  place  to  sleep,  and  at  the  same  time 
I  shall  be  earning  money  to  pay  off  that  debt  I 
owe  Dave  Evans.  What  an  idiot  I  was  to  keep 
that  money  !  To  pay  for  that  one  act  of  folly  and 
dishonesty  I  am  compelled  to  waste  some  of  the 
best  years  of  my  life  in  the  army.  I  hope  I  shall 
got  a  chance  to  show  them  that  I  am  no  coward, 
if  I  am  a  greenhorn." 

It  was  little  indeed  that  Mose  gave  Bob  for  the 
articles  he  had  to  offer  for  sale — just  four  dollars 
for  clothing  that  had  cost  over  thirty*;  but  those 


DISCONTENTED    KECRUITS.  17 

four  dollars  made  him  feel  a  little  more  independ 
ent.  They  brought  him  a  few  delicacies  to  sup 
plement  the  plain  fare  that  was  served  up  to  him 
and  his  companions  at  the  cheap  restaurant  at 
which  they  took  their  meals,  and  were  the  means 
of  gaining  him  the  friendship  of  one  of  the  recruits, 
Bristow  by  name,  who  stuck  to  him  like  a  leech 
until  the  last  cent  had  been  expended. 

Bob  remained  in  Galveston  nearly  two  weeks, 
and  during  that  time  he  saw  everything  of  interest 
there  was  to  be  seen  in  the  city.  Then  he  began 
to  grow  tired  of  having  nothing  to  do,  and  took 
to  hanging  about  the  office  as  the  others  did,  and 
making  comments  upon  those  who  presented  them 
selves  for  enlistment.  He  was  glad  indeed  when 
the  lieutenant  mustered  all  the  recruits  one  night 
and  ordered  them  to  report  at  the  office  the  next 
morning  at  nine  o'clock,  sharp  ;  but  he  was  pro 
voked  because  the  officer  did  not  tell  them  where 
they  were  going.  This,  however,  only  proved  the 
truth  of  the  old  sergeant's  words — that  a  private 
never  knew  where  he  was  going  until  he  got  there. 
Bob  knew  that  they  were  bound  for  Brownsville 
when  a  steamer  landed  them  there  a  few  hours  later, 
and  he  found  out  that  they  were  going  from  there  to 


18  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

Fort  Lamoine  when  they  arrived  at  that  post  after 
a  weary  tramp  of  more  than  three  hundred  miles. 

The  recruits  camped  beside  the  trail  at  night, 
and  during  the  daytime  plodded  along  behind  the 
army-wagon  which  contained  their  tents,  blankets, 
rations  and  cooking-utensils.  It  was  very  fatigu 
ing  to  all  of  them,  and  it  was  not  long  before  Bob 
began  to  learn  something  of  the  dispositions  of  the 
men  with  whom  he  was  to  be  intimately  associated 
during  his  term  of  enlistment.  The  majority  of 
them  grumbled  lustily,  and  even  talking  of  desert 
ing,  and  there  were  not  more  than  two  or  three 
besides  himself  who  bore  the  discomforts  of  the 
march  with  anything  like  patience.  There  was  not 
much  restriction  placed  upon  their  actions,  and,  al 
though  they  were  not  permitted  to  stray  away  from 
the  line  of  march  during  the  daytime,  they  were 
allowed  to  visit  any  ranches  or  farm-houses  that 
might  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  their  camping- 
grounds.  The  people  they  met  along  the  route 
were  very  liberal  with  the  products  of  their  gar 
dens  and  with  their  milk,  butter  and  eggs,  and  the 
recruits  fared  sumptuously  every  day  ;  but  it  would 
have  been  much  better  for  some  of  them  if  they 
had  remained  in  camp  at  night  and  left  the  settlers 


DISCONTENTED    RECRUITS.  19 

entirely  alone.  Not  a  few  of  the  men  with  whom 
they  exchanged  civilities  unconsciously  sowed  among 
them  seeds  of  discontent  that  were  destined  eventu 
ally  to  bear  a  fruitful  crop  of  trouble.  By  endeav 
oring  to  live  up  to  the  sentiments  they  heard  ex 
pressed  on  every  hand,  more  than  one  of  the  re 
cruits  found  themselves  landed  in  the  military 
prison  at  Fort  Leaven  worth. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  chaps  swear  away  your 
liberty,  and  work  for  thirteen  dollars  a  month, 
when  you  might  just  as  well  get  forty  and  be  free 
men/7  said  a  rancheman  one  night,  after  he  has 
given  Bob  and  three  companions,  one  of  whom  was 
Bristow,  all  the  milk  he  had  to  spare.  "  You'll 
soon  get  enough  of  soldiering,  /  tell  you.  I  know, 
for  I  have  tried  it.  It  is  a  heap  easier  to  ride 
around  on  your  horse  and  watch  your  cattle  while 
they  are  fattening  themselves  for  market  on  the 
rich  grass." 

"But  we  don't  happen  to  have  any  cattle  to 
watch,"  said  Bob. 

"Who  would  give  us  forty  dollars  a  month?" 
demanded  Bristow,  who  was  one  of  the  loudest  and 
most  persistent  grumblers  among  the  recruits. 

"  You  could  get  it  almost  anywhere  in  this  coun- 


20  GEORGE    AT   THE    FOKT. 

try,"  replied  the  ranch  eman.  "  I'd  give  it  to  you,  for 
one,  and  I  know  of  a  dozen  others  who  stand  ready 
to  snap  up  the  first  man  that  comes  along,  no  odds 
whether  he  ever  herded  cattle  or  not.  You  have 
made  precious  fools  of  yourselves,  and  you'll  get  a 
fool's  reward.  You'll  have  mean  grub,  hard  work 
and  poor  pay,  and  be  niggers  to  every  little  snipe 
who  wears  a  shoulder-strap." 

"  We've  found  that  out  already — haven't  we, 
boys  ?"  said  Bristow,  as  he  and  his  companions  re 
luctantly  took  leave  of  the  hospitable  rancheman 
and  retraced  their  steps  toward  the  camp.  "  We  are 
precious  fools  to  work  for  thirteen  dollars,  when 
we  might  just  as  well  earn  three  times  that  amount, 
and  be  our  own  masters  besides.  There  is  no  need 
that  anybody  should  tell  us  that  our  officers  will 
treat  us  like  niggers,  for  we  have  found  that  out 
too.  Look  at  that  lieutenant !  He  rides  in  the 
wagon  every  day,  while  we  have  to  hoof  it." 

"  But  you  must  remember  that  he  is  not  strong," 
said  Bob.  "He  has  not  yet  fully  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  his  wound." 

"  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it,"  declared  Bristow. 
"  He's  just  as  able  to  march  and  cook  his  own  grub 
and  pitch  his  own  tent  as  we  are.  It  makes  me 


DISCONTENTED    RECRUITS.  21 

sick  to  see  how  that  man  Haskins  waits  on  him." 
(Haskins  was  the  one  who  had  served  out  clothing 
to  the  recruits  in  Gal veston.)  "Bat  a  blind  man 
could  see  what  he  is  working  for,"  added  Bristow. 
"  He  wants  to  get  into  the  good  graces  of  the  lieu 
tenant,  hoping  that  he  will  be  recommended  for  a 
non-corn /s  position  when  we  reach  the  fort.  I  tell 
you  I  have  seen  enough  of  soldiering  already,  and 
the  very  first  chance  I  get  I  am  going  to  skip  out." 

"  I'll  go  with  you,"  said  one  of  the  recruits. 

"  All  right !     Shake  on  that." 

"  You  may  depend  upon  me,"  said  the  recruit 
as  he  grasped  Bristow's  proffered  hand.  i(  Do  you 
remember  that  big- whiskered,  loud-voiced  ranche- 
man  who  gave  us  the  potatoes  the  other  night?  He 
is  sadly  in  need  of  help,  and  he  told  me  that  if  I 
would  come  to  his  house,  bringing  three  or  four 
friends  with  me,  he  would  give  us  citizens'  clothes 
and  hide  us  until  the  officers  gave  up  looking  for 
us.  All  he  asked  was,  that  we  should  agree  to 
work  for  him  for  twelve  months,  and  promise  not 
to  leave  without  giving  him  due  notice." 

"  I  am  in  for  that,"  exclaimed  the  recruit  who 
had  not  spoken  before. — "  What  do  you  say, 
Owens?" 


22  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

"  I  say  I  am  out  of  it,"  was  the  quick  reply. 
"  If  I  did  a  thing  like  that,  I  never  could  look  a 
white  man  in  the  face  again.  I  have  been  guilty 
of  a  good  many  mean  acts  during  my  life — some 
that  I  would  gladly  recall  if  I  could — but  I  am 
not  mean  enough  to  desert.  Besides,  I  have  no 
desire  to  have  a  bullet  sent  into  me." 

Bob's  companions  did  not  know  whether  to  be 
surprised  or  angry  at  this  plain  speech.  They  stared 
hard  at  him  for  a  moment,  and  then  Bristow  said, 

"  Are  you  really  afraid  of  being  shot?  Well,  I 
can  set  your  fears  on  that  score  at  rest.  I  know 
that  the  penalty  for  desertion  in  the  face  of  the 
enemy  is  death,  but  we  are  not  in  the  face  of  the 
enemy  now.  The  country  is  at  peace." 

"  I  know  it  is  nominally  so,"  answered  Bob, 
"  but  it  is  not  so  in  reality,  and  never  will  be  so 
long  as  these  hostile  Indians  and  lawless  Mexicans 
continue  to  raid  over  the  Texas  border.  If  you 
skip  out,  as  you  threaten  to  do,  you  may  rest  as 
sured  that  you  will  be  brought  back  by  force  of 
arms,  and  if  you  resist  you  will  be  shot." 

"  How  does  it  come  that  you  know  so  much 
more  than  the  rest  of  us  ?"  demanded  Bristow  an 
grily.  "You  are  not  an  old  soldier." 


DISCONTENTED    RECRUITS.  23 

"  I  am  aware  of  that  fact,  but  I  have  been  talk 
ing  to  an  old  soldier,  and  that  was  Haskins.  He 
told  me  that  Major  Elliot,  one  of  General  Ouster's 
officers,  pursued  a  party  of  deserters,  and  when  they 
resisted  he  shot  three  of  them;  and  Haskins  him 
self  was  one  of  the  squad  that  did  the  shooting." 

"I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it,"  exclaimed 
Bristow. 

"Neither  do  I,"  said  another  of  the  recruits. 
"  Of  course  we  expect  to  be  pursued,  but  we  shall 
take  good  care  that  we  are  not  caught.  Any  of 
these  ranchernen  who  want  herdsmen  will  furnish 
us  with  citizens'  clothing,  and  before  our  year  is 
out  the  thing  will  blow  over,  and  then  wre'll  go 
home,  and  stay  there." 

"  It  won't  blow  over  as  easily  as  you  think  for," 
said  Bob.  "  It  will  be  known  to  your  home  au 
thorities  and  to  everybody  else  that  you  are  desert 
ers,  and  all  the  detectives  in  the  United  States  will 
be  on  the  lookout  for  you.  If  you  want  to  live  in 
constant  fear  of  arrest,  you  can  do  it,  but  I  won't.*' 

Bob  stuck  to  his  resolution,  and  his  discontented 
companions  stuck  to  theirs.  We  shall  see  in  due 
time  which  of  the  four  made  the  wisest  decision. 


CHAPTER    II. 

AN   OLD    FRIEND   TURNS   UP. 

ri^HE  long,  toilsome  journey  was  completed  at 
last,  and  late  one  afternoon  the  weary  and 
footsore  recruits  found  themselves  drawn  up  in  line 
on  the  parade-ground  at  Fort  Lamoine.  After  the 
roll  had  been  called  and  the  colonel  commanding 
the  post  had  hurriedly  inspected  them,  they  were 
turned  over  to  a  sergeant,  who  marched  them  into  the 
barracks.  There  they  found  about  two  hundred  or 
more  soldiers,  who,  as  soon  as  the  order  was  given 
to  "  break  ranks,"  crowded  about  them  inquiring  for 
late  papers  and  asking  a  thousand  and  one  ques 
tions  in  regard  to  what  was  going  on  in  the  States. 
Learning  from  the  sergeant  that  no  duty  would 
be  required  of  him  that  day,  Bob  spread  his  blan 
kets  in  one  of  the  empty  bunks,  and,  stretching 
himself  upon  them,  placed  his  hands  under  his  head 
and  looked  about  him  with  no  little  curiosity. 
Presently  a  young  trooper,  a  boy  about  his  own 

24 


AN   OLD    FRIEND   TURNS   UP.  25 

age,  who  looked  as  though  he  were  just  recovering 
from  a  long  siege  of  sickness,  approached,  and,  seat 
ing  himself  on  the  edge  of  Bob's  bunk,  began  a 
conversation  with  him.  Those  of  our  readers 
who  have  met  this  boy  before  in  citizen's  dress 
might  have  seen  something  familiar  about  him,  but 
still  it  is  doubtful  if  they  would  have  recognized  in 
him —  Well,  we  will  let  him  reveal  his  identity. 
After  a  few  commonplace  remarks  Bob  inquired, 
as  he  nodded  his  head  toward  a  soldier  who  was 
hobbling  about  the  room  with  the  aid  of  a  crutch, 

"  What's  the  matter  with  that  man  ?" 

"  Raiders,"  was  the  sententious  reply. 

"Been  in  a  fight?"  asked  Bob. 

The  young  soldier  nodded  his  head. 

"How  long  since?" 

"Last  full  moon." 

"  I  hope  these  fights  don't  occur  very  often." 

"  Well,  they  do — much  oftener  than  I  wish  they 
did.  I  have  been  in  two  pretty  hard  ones,  and 
that's  enough  for  me.  I  suppose  we  shall  have 
more  of  them  now,  for  I  understand  that  we  have 
received  orders  to  follow  the  raiders  across  the  river 
and  thrash  them  wherever  they  can  be  found." 

"Were  you   wounded   in   one  of  those  fights?'7 


26  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

asked  Bob.  "  Then  you  must  be  sick/'  he  added 
when  the  boy  shook  his  head. 

"Yes,  I  am  sick,"  was  the  reply — "homesick 
and  sick  at  heart.  I  have  been  in  the  army  nearly 
two  years  and  a  half,  and  I  don't  see  how  I  can 
live  to  serve  out  the  rest  of  my  time.  I  am  dying 
by  inches." 

"  What  did  you  come  into  the  army  for,  any 
how  ?" 

"Because  I  was  a  fool,"  answered  the  young 
soldier  bitterly. 

"  Shake,"  exclaimed  Bob,  extending  his  hand ; 
"  I  came  in  for  the  same  reason." 

"Did  your  parents  give  their  consent?"  asked 
his  new  acquaintance. 

"  No,  they  didn't.  They  live  in  Mississippi, 
and  don't  know  anything  about  it." 

Bob's  long  tramp  had  taken  a  good  deal  of  spirit 
out  of  him,  and  somehow  he  could  not  muster  up 
energy  enough  to  tell  any  more  falsehoods  concern 
ing  himself. 

"  My  parents  live  in  Ohio,"  said  the  soldier. 

"  Then  how  in  the  world  did  you  happen  to  stray 
down  here  to  Texas  ?"  asked  Bob. 

"  I  ran  away  from  home." 


AN   OLD   FRIEND   TURNS    UP.  27 

"Shake,"  said  Bob,  again  extending  his  hand; 
"that's  just  what  I  did." 

The  two  runaways  shook  each  other's  hands  in 
the  most  cordial  manner,  and  instantly  all  reserve 
between  them  vanished.  They  were  companions  in 
misery  and  united  by  a  bond  of  sympathy.  The 
young  soldier  at  once  became  very  communicative. 
Pie  had  closely  guarded  his  secret  for  more  than 
two  years,  because  there  was  not  one  among  the 
rough  men  by  whom  he  was  surrounded  who  could 
understand  or  appreciate  his  feelings.  But  here  was 
one  who  could  sympathize  with  him,  and  it  was  a 
great  relief  to  him  to  know  that  he  could  speak 
freely  and  run  no  risk  of  being  laughed  at  for  his 
weakness. 

"My  name  is  Gus  Bobbins,"  said  he,  moving  up 
a  little  closer  to  Bob  and  speaking  in  a  low,  confi 
dential  tone.  "  I  had  as  good  a  home  as  any  boy 
need  wish  for,  but  I  wasn't  contented  there;  still, 
I  don't  believe  that  I  ever  should  have  left  it  as  I 
did  if  circumstances  had  not  smoothed  the  way  for 
me.  My  father  is  the  senior  partner  in  the  largest 
dry-goods  store  in  Foxboro',  and  he  had  in  his  em 
ploy  two  persons,  father  and  son,  who  are  in  a  great 
measure  responsible  for  all  the  trouble  I  have  got 


28  GEORGE   AT   THE   FOIIT. 

into.  The  boy  was  a  clerk  like  myself,  and  his  fa 
ther  was  our  bookkeeper.  They  had  a  very  wealthy 
relative,  a  rancheman,  living  here  in  Texas,  and 
when  that  relative  died  it  was  found  that  he  had 
willed  his  property  to  our  bookkeeper,  to  be  held  in 
trust  for  his  (the  rancheman's)  son.  They  came  to 
Texas  to  take  charge  of  the  estate,  and  after  a  while  I 
received  a  letter  from  Ned  (that  was  the  boy's  name) 
inviting  me  to  pay  him  a  visit.  As  he  sent  me 
money  enough  to  bear  the  expenses  of  the  journey, 
I  came  ;  and  I  am  very  sorry  for  it.  We  got  our 
selves  into  trouble  by  shooting  some  cattle  that 
had  broken  into  Ned's  wheat-field,  and  had  to  dig 
out  for  Brownsville  at  a  gallop.  Ned  went  squarely 
back  on  me,  and  as  I  had  no  money  to  pay  my  way 
home,  and  hadn't  the  cheek  to  ask  my  father  for  it, 
I  did  wrhat  I  thought  to  be  the  next  best  thing — I 
enlisted.  I  am  very  sorry  for  that  too,  for  there 
was  where  I  made  my  mistake.  I  ought  to  have 
gone  back  into  the  country  and  hired  out  to  some 
stock-raiser.  Then  I  could  have  gone  home  as 
soon  as  I  had  earned  and  saved  money  enough  to 
take  me  there;  but  now  I  must  stay  my  time  out; 
that  is,  unless — " 

Gus  paused  and  looked  at  Bob.     The  latter  tin- 


AN    OLD    FKIEND   TURNS    UP.  29 

derstood  him.  Here  was  another  fellow  who  had 
made  up  his  mind  to  desert  at  the  first  opportunity. 

"  Don't  do  that,"  said  Bob,  earnestly.  "  You'll 
only  get  yourself  into  trouble  if  you  attempt  it." 

"  I  don't  care  if  I  am  shot  for  it.  I'll  make  a 
break  for  liberty  the  very  first  good  chance  I  get." 

The  tone  in  which  these  words  were  uttered  satis 
fied  Bob  that  it  would  be  of  no  use  whatever  to 
argue  the  matter.  It  was  plain  that  Gus  had  made 
up  his  mind  after  mature  deliberation,  and  that  he 
was  not  to  be  easily  turned  from  his  purpose. 

"  Where  did  your  friend  Ned  go  after  you  reach 
ed  Brownsville?"  asked  Bob,  who  was  much  inter 
ested  in  the  young  soldier's  story. 

"I  don't  know;  I  left  him  at  the  hotel.  He 
will  come  to  some  bad  end,  and  so  will  his  father, 
for  they  are  both  rascals.  The  property  of  which 
they  have  charge,  and  which  brings  in  a  big  for 
tune  every  year,  rightfully  belongs  to  George 
Acker  man,  Ned's  cousin ;  but  Ned  and  his  fa 
ther—" 

"  George  Ackerman  ?"  exclaimed  Bob,  starting 
up  in  his  bunk. 

Gus  nodded  his  head,  and  looked  at  the  recruit 
in  great  surprise. 


30  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

"Is  he  a  cub  pilot?"  continued  the  latter. 

"'A  cub  pilot'?"  repeated  Gus.  "No,  he's  a 
herdsman,  or  I  ought  rather  to  say  he  ivas  a  herds 
man.  He  had  stock  of  his  own  worth  six  thou 
sand  dollars.  Where  he  is  now  I  don't  know,  for 
on  the  morning  after  we  left  his  ranche,  while  we 
were  camped  in  the  edge  of  the  timber  making  up 
for  the  sleep  we  had  lost  the  night  before,  we  were 
surprised  by  a  couple  of  Greasers,  who  made  a  pris 
oner  of  George  and  carried  him  across  the  river 
into  Mexico.  I  don't  know  what  they  did  with 
him,  for  all  George  could  induce  them  to  say  was 
that  'Fletcher  wanted  to  see  him.'" 

"  It's  the  same  fellow,"  exclaimed  Bob,  rising 
from  his  blanket  and  seating  himself  on  the  edge 
of  the  bunk  by  his  companion's  side.  "  He  told  me 
all  about  it,  but  his  story  was  so  very  remarkable 
that  I  didn't  know  whether  to  believe  it  or  not. 
He  gave  those  Greasers  the  slip,  secured  a  berth  as 
cub  pilot  on  a  Mississippi  River  steamer,  and  that 
was  where  I  found  him." 

With  this  introduction  Bob  went  on  to  tell  how 
he  had  saved  George  from  going  to  the  bottom 
when  Uncle  John  Ackerman  pushed  him  over 
board  from  the  Sam  Kendall ;  related  all  the  thrill- 


AN    OLD    FRIEND   TURNS   UP.  31 

ing  incidents  connected  with  the  burning  of  the 
steamer;  described  how  Uncle  John  had  tried  to 
separate  them  in  New  Orleans;  in  short,  he  gave 
a  truthful  account  of  his  intercourse  with  the  cub 
pilot  up  to  the  time  he  deserted  him  in  Galveston. 
Bob  was  heartily  ashamed  of  that  now,  and  could 
not  bear  to  speak  of  it. 

"  I  became  separated  from  him  in  some  way — it 
is  very  easy  to  lose  a  companion  in  the  crowded 
streets  of  a  city,  you  know — and  that  was  the  last 
I  saw  of  him,"  said  Bob  in  conclusion  ;  and  when 
he  told  this  he  forgot  that  he  had  afterward  seen 
George  go  into  a  hotel  accompanied  by  Mr.  Gilbert, 
"  Then  I  didn't  know  what  to  do.  I  had  no 
money ;  I  was  hungry  and  sleepy,  utterly  discour 
aged  ;  and,  like  you,  I  sought  to  end  my  troubles 
by  enlisting.  I  see  now  that  I  made  a  great  mis 
take,  but  I  am  going  to  serve  faithfully  during  my 
term  of  enlistment,  if  I  live.  Is  George's  ranche 
far  from  here?" 

"  I  don't  know,  for  I  am  not  much  acquainted 
with  the  country  east  of  here,  never  having  scouted 
in  that  direction.  It  is  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  from  Palos,  if  you  know  where  that  is. 
As  you  are  George's  friend,  I  am  sorry  that  you 


32  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

enlisted,  for  I  know  that  you  are  going  to  have  a 
hard  time  of  it;  but  since  you  did  enlist,  I  am 
glad  you  were  ordered  to  this  post,  for  misery  loves 
company,  you  know.  Let's  walk  out  on  the  pa 
rade,  where  we  can  talk  without  danger  of  being 
overheard.  Perhaps  you  would  like  to  take  a  look 
at  the  place  which  will  always  be  associated  in  your 
mind  with  the  most  unhappy  days  of  your  ex 
istence." 

It  was  plain  that  Gus  took  a  very  gloomy  view 
of  things,  and  of  course  his  discouraging  remarks 
made  an  impression  upon  Bob,  although  they  did 
not  take  away  the  interest  he  felt  in  his  surround 
ings.  Everything  was  new  to  him,  and  he  asked 
a  great  many  questions  as  he  and  Gus  walked  slow 
ly  around  the  parade  toward  the  stables. 

Fort  Lamoine  was  situated  on  a  high,  rocky 
eminence  which  overlooked  the  surrounding  coun- 
tiy  for  half  a  dozen  miles  or  more  in  every  di 
rection.  The  stockade,  which  enclosed  about  two 
acres  of  ground,  was  built  of  upright  logs  deeply 
sunk  in  the  earth.  The  tops  were  sawed  off  level, 
and  a  heavy  plate  of  timber,  through  which  stout 
wooden  pins  had  been  driven  into  the  end  of  each 
log,  held  them  firmly  in  their  place.  The  officers' 


AN   OLD    FRIEND   TURNS   UP.  33 

quarters,  barracks,  store-houses  and  stables  were 
built  in  the  same  manner.  On  the  outside  of  the 
parade  were  long  rows  of  stately  cotton  wood  trees, 
interspersed  with  shrubs  and  flowers.  In  one  cor 
ner,  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  principal  gate, 
was  the  well  that  supplied  the  garrison  with  water, 
and  in  the  other  was  the  flagstaff,  from  which  float 
ed  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

"  Emblem  of  liberty !"  said  Gus  with  a  sneer  as 
he  pointed  up  at  the  flag—"  emblem  of  tyranny, 
rather." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  demanded  Bob 
quickly. 

"Oh,  you  will  find  out  before  you  have  been 
here  long,"  replied  Gus,  shaking  his  head  and 
looking  very  wise.  "  A  bigger  lot  of  tyrants  than 
the  officers  who  command  us  were  never  crowded 
into  any  one  post." 

"  Perhaps  you  don't  do  your  duty  as  well  as  you 
might?"  mildly  suggested  Bob. 

"I  know  I  don't.  I  do  no  more  than  I  am 
obliged  to  do,  I  tell  you,  and  for  the  simple  reason 
that  I  didn't  enlist  to  act  as  lackey  to  a  lot  of 
shoulder-straps.  I  am  just  as  good  as  they  are,  but 
they  say  I  am  not.  Why,  the  last  time  the  pay  mas- 


34  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

ter  was  here  his  little  snipe  of  a  clerk  remarked  in 
my  hearing  that  enlisted  men  were  nothing  more 
than  servants  to  the  officers.  What  do  you  think 
of  that?" 

Bob  did  not  know  what  to  think  of  it,  so  he 
said  nothing  in  reply.  He  simply  resolved  that  he 
would  not  pass  judgment  upon  his  superiors  until 
he  had  had  some  experience  with  them  himself. 

"This  is  by  no  means  the  gloomy  place  that  I 
expected  to  find  it,"  said  Bob  as  he  and  Gus  re 
sumed  their  walk. 

"  Oh,  the  fort  itself  is  good  enough,"  replied 
Gus ;  "  it's  the  people  who  live  in  it  that  I  object 
to.  If  one  could  pick  his  own  company,  and  could 
do  as  he  pleased,  he  might  manage  to  live  here  for 
a  few  years  very  comfortably  ;  but  we  have  to  as 
sociate  with  some  rough  characters  there  in  the  bar 
racks,  and  the  officers  hold  us  with  our  noses  close 
to  the  grindstone  all  the  time.  They  look  upon  a 
private  as  little  better  than  a  dog,  and  they'll  slap 
him  into  the  guard-house  on  the  slightest  provo 
cation.  Now,  this  is  one  of  the  stables;  it  will 
accommodate  seventy  horses.  Those  you  see  in 
here  are  blooded  animals,  and  they  belong  to  the 
officers.  The  government  horses  are  always  picket- 


AN   OLD    FRIEND   TURNS   UP.  35 

ed  outside,  except  when  there  is  danger  of  a  visit 
from  the  raiders,  and  then  they  are  brought  in  for 
safe-keeping.  Now,  take  a  good  look  at  the  sta 
ble,  and  then  come  out  and  take  another  look  at  the 
stockade.  Every  night  there  are  two  sentries  placed 
over  this  stable — one  at  the  front,  and  the  other  at 
the  rear,  between  the  stable  and  the  stockade — and 
a  guard  sleeps  inside.  Would  you  believe  that,  after 
all  these  precautions,  it  would  be  possible  for  any 
body  to  come  into  the  fort  and  steal  a  horse?" 

Bob  said  he  would  not. 

"  Well,  it  was  done  not  more  than  two  weeks 
ago,"  continued  Gus.  "One  stormy  night  these 
two  logs  were  removed  from  the  stockade,  and  four 
of  the  best  horses  in  the  stable  were  run  off.  It 
must  have  taken  hours  to  do  the  work,  and  al 
though  the  sentries  were  changed  while  it  was  go 
ing  on,  no  one  knew  that  a  theft  had  been  com 
mitted  until  the  next  morning." 

"Who  did  it?"  inquired  Bob. 

"A  couple  of  Comanches,  who  were  surprised 
and  killed  by  the  squad  that  was  sent  in  pursuit 
of  them.  The  Comanches  are  acknowledged,  even 
by  the  Indians  themselves,  to  be  the  most  expert 
horse-thieves  on  the  Plains.  Why,  one  night,  when 


36  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

a  scouting-party  to  which  I  was  attached  were  in 
camp  and  fast  asleep,  a  Comanche  crept  up  and 
stole  the  lieutenant's  horse;  and  in  order  to  do 
it  he  had  to  cut  the  lariat  that  was  tied  to  the  of 
ficer's  wrist.  He  got  away  with  the  horse,  and 
never  awoke  one  of  us." 

Gus  Robbins  had  accumulated  an  almost  inex 
haustible  fund  of  such  anecdotes  as  these  during 
his  two  and  a  half  years  of  army-life,  and  he  re 
lated  a  good  many  of  them  to  Bob  while  they  were 
walking  about  the  fort  examining  the  different  ob 
jects  of  interest.  From  some  of  them  Bob  gained 
a  faint  idea  of  what  might  be  in  store  for  him 
self. 

The  next  morning  the  newly-arrived  recruits 
were  formed  into  an  awkward  squad  and  turned 
over  to  the  tender  mercies  of  a  grizzly  old  sergeant, 
who  proved  to  be  anything  but  an  agreeable  and 
patient  instructor.  He  drilled  them  for  four  hours 
without  allowing  them  a  single  moment's  rest,  abus 
ing  them  roundly  for  every  mistake  they  made; 
and  when  at  last  he  marched  them  to  their  quar 
ters,  it  was  only  that  they  might  eat  their  dinner 
and  take  half  an  hour's  breathing-spell  preparatory 
to  going  through  the  same  course  of  sprouts  again 


AN    OLD    FRIEND    TURNS    UP.  37 

in  the  afternoon.  This  routine  was  followed  day 
after  day  until  the  members  of  the  awkward  squad 
were  declared  to  be  sufficiently  drilled  to  warrant 
their  appearance  on  dress-parade.  After  that  they 
were  assigned  to  the  different  troops  (or  companies) 
that  stood  the  most  in  need  of  men,  Bob,  to  his 
delight,  finding  himself  in  the  same  troop  to  which 
his  new  friend,  Gus  Robbins,  belonged.  But  even 
then  their  troubles  did  not  cease.  Instead  of  drill 
ing  eight  hours  each  day,  they  drilled  six,  and  were 
obliged  to  do  guard-duty  besides.  Among  the  three 
hundred  and  eighty  men  who  composed  the  garrison 
there  were  not  a  few  old  soldiers  who  hated  this 
hard  work  as  cordially  as  some  of  the  new-comers 
did,  and  there  was  a  good  deal  of  grumbling  among 
them  ;  but  Bob  Owens  never  uttered  a  word  of  com 
plaint.  Firmly  adhering  to  the  resolution  he  had 
made  when  he  first  enlisted,  he  set  himself  to  work 
to  learn  just  what  was  required  of  him,  and  when 
he  found  out  what  his  duty  was,  he  did  it  cheer 
fully  and  faithfully.  Pie  was  always  on  hand  when 
ho  was  wanted,  his  equipments  were  always  r<?  \y 
for  inspection,  and  his  horse  shone  like  satin. 
When  his  own  steed  had  been  fed  and  groomed,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  horse  belonging  to  the 


38  GEORGE  AT  THE   FORT. 

lieutenant  who  commanded  the  troop  to  which  he 
belonged,  and  thereby  aroused  the  indignation  of 
some  of  his  brother-soldiers. 

"  What  are  you  doing  that  for  ?"  demanded 
Gus  Bobbins  one  day  as  he  and  Bristow  entered 
the  stable  and  found  Bob  busy  at  work  grooming 
the  lieutenant's  horse.  "  You  are  in  pretty  busi 
ness,  I  must  say !" 

"Yes,  I  rather  like  it,"  answered  Bob.  "I  always 
liked  to  work  about  horses,  and  I  am  doing  this 
because  I  haven't  anything  else  to  do  just  now." 

"Well,  I  wouldn't  do  it  any  more  if  I  were  in 
your  place,"  continued  Gus.  "  The  law  express 
ly  prohibits  an  officer  from  compelling,  or  even 
hiring,  an  enlisted  man  to  do  his  dirty  work." 

"It  does,  does  it?"  exclaimed  Bob.  "Didn't 
you  tell  me  when  I  just  came  here  that  enlisted 
men  were  nothing  but  servants  to  their  officers?" 

"  I  didn't  mean  that,  exactly,"  stammered  Gus. 
"  What  I  did  mean  was,  that  they  don't  treat  us 
like  human  beings.  If  an  officer  wants  a  servant, 
he  must  hire  a  civilian  and  pay  him  out  of  his 
own  pocket;  that's  what  the  law  says." 

"  I  am  aware  of  that  fact ;  but  the  law  doesn't 
say  that  I  shall  not  groom  the  lieutenant's  horse 


AN   OLD    FRIEND   TURNS    UP.  39 

if  I  choose  to  do  it  of  my  own  free  will,  does 
it?" 

"Let  the  toady  alone,  Bobbins,"  said  Bristow 
angrily.  "The  troop  hasn't  got  all  the  non-coms, 
that  it  is  entitled  to,  and  Owens  is  working  for 
chevrons.  You  know  the  lieutenant  said  the 
other  day  that  there  were  four  corporals'  and  two 
duty  sergeants'  warrants  waiting  for  those  who 
were  willing  to  win  them;  and  this  is  the  way 
Owens  is  going  to  work  to  get  one  of  them." 

Bob  straightened  up,  looked  sharply  at  Bristow 
for  a  moment,  and  then  drew  back  the  brush  he 
held  in  his  hand,  as  if  he  had  half  a  mind  to  throw 
it  at  his  head. 

"That's  what  all  the  boys  say,  Bob,"  observed 
Gus.  "  If  you  want  to  keep  on  the  right  side 
of  the  privates,  you  must  not  try  to  curry  favor 
with  the  officers." 

"  If  you  want  a  non-com. 's  warrant,  why  don't 
you  wait  until  you  get  a  chance  to  win  it  in  bat 
tle  ?"  added  Bristow.  "  That's  what  I  intend  to 
do,  and  I  shall  think  much  more  of  a  promotion 
earned  in  that  way  than  I  should  of  one  I  had 
gained  by  cleaning  an  officer's  horse." 

"  Look   here,  fellows,"  said  Bob  earnestly :    "  I 


40  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

don't  do  this  work  for  the  lieutenant  because  I 
hope  to  gain  any  tiling  by  it.  I  do  it  simply  to 
pass  away  the  time,  for  I  can't  see  any  fun  in 
loafing  about  the  quarters  doing  nothing.  If 
the  boys  don't  like  it,  let's  see  them  help  them 
selves." 

"  If  the  lieutenant  was  a  decent  man,  I  wouldn't 
say  a  word,"  answered  Bristow.  "  But  he  is  so 
mean  that  I  wouldn't  turn  my  hand  over  to  save 
his  life." 

"Anybody  with  half  an  eye  could  see  what  is 
the  matter  with  you,"  retorted  Bob.  "You  have 
been  in  the  guard-house  about  half  the  time  since 
you  have  been  here,  and  spent  the  other  half  in 
doing  extra  duty ;  and  that's  the  reason  you  don't 
like  the  lieutenant.  If  you  will  wake  up  and  at 
tend  to  business,  he  will  treat  you  well  enough." 

Bob's  prompt  and  soldier-like  way  of  perform 
ing  the  work  that  was  required  of  him  very  soon 
attracted  the  attention  of  Lieutenant  Earle  (that 
was  the  name  of  the  officer  in  command  of  the 
troop  to  which  Bob  belonged),  and  he  took  his 
own  way  to  reward  him  for  it.  If  he  was  ordered 
off  on  a  scout,  Bob  Owens  was  always  one  of  the 
u  picked  men  "  who  accompanied  him.  If  he  was 


AN   OLD   FRIEND   TURNS   UP.  41 

sent  out  with  a  squad  during  the  full  of  the  moon 
to  watch  the  ford  a  few  miles  below  the  fort,  Bob 
was  one  of  the  members  of  that  squad.  This  did 
not  excite  the  jealousy  of  the  good  soldiers,  for 
they  were  always  glad  to  have  a  brave  comrade 
to  back  them  up  in  times  of  danger,  no  matter 
whether  he  was  a  greenhorn  or  a  veteran ;  but 
the  grumblers  and  the  discontented  ones,  especially 
those  who  belonged  to  his  own  troop,  had  a  good 
deal  to  say  about  it,  and  declared  that  the  lieuten 
ant  took  Bob  with  him  on  his  expeditions  to  pay 
him  for  grooming  his  horse.  They  disliked  him 
cordially,  and  it  was  not  long  before  an  incident 
happened  that  caused  the  dislike  of  at  least  one 
of  them  to  grow  into  positive  hatred. 

One  pleasant  afternoon  some  of  the  men  receiv 
ed  permission  to  go  outside  the  gates  for  a  short 
stroll.  They  wandered  off  in  squads,  some  going 
one  way  and  some  another,  and  Bristow  and  two 
companions — one  of  whom  was  Gus  Robbins — 
bent  their  stops  toward  the  crumbling  remains  of 
an  old  adobe  outpost  which  marked  the  spot  where 
more  than  one  desperate  fight  with  the  Apaches 
had  taken  place  in  the  days  gone  by.  There  they 
seated  themselves  and  entered  into  conversation, 


42  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

Bristow's  first  words  indicating  that  they  were  about 
to  discuss  a  subject  that  had  before  occupied  their 
attention. 

"  I  tell  you,  Robbins,"  said  he,  "  if  you  are 
in  earnest  in  what  you  say,  now  is  the  time  to 
prove  it." 

"  I  certainly  am  in  earnest,"  answered  Gus ; 
"  but,  to  tell  you  the  honest  truth,  I  am 
afraid." 

" '  Afraid ' !"  repeated  Bristow  in  a  tone  of 
contempt.  "  What  in  the  world  are  you  afraid 
of?" 

"  Of  pursuit,"  replied  Gus.  "  If  we  resist,  we 
run  the  risk  of  being  shot;  and  if  we  are  cap 
tured,  we  stand  an  excellent  chance  of  going  to 
prison*" 

"  Now,  Bobbins,"  said  Bristow  earnestly,  "  let 
me  once  more  explain  our  arrangements  to  you, 
and  you  will  see  that  we  do  not  risk  anything. 
In  the  first  place,  the  horses  are  left  picketed 
outside  the  stockade  every  night.  They  are  never 
brought  in,  as  you  know,  unless  there  is  danger 
of  a  visit  from  the  raiders.  Four  of  the  six  men 
who  are  to  act  as  horse-guards  to-night  belong  to 
our  party.  When  the  time  for  action  arrives,  these 


AN    OLD    FRIEND   TURNS    UP.  43 

four  men  will  go  to  work  on  the  other  two  and 
try  to  induce  them  to  accompany  us.  If  they  don't 
succeed,  they'll  bind  and  gag  them,  and  so  put  it 
out  of  their  power  to  give  the  alarm.  The  sentry 
who  will  be  on  duty  between  the  stable  and  the 
stockade  is  also  one  of  us,  and  of  course  he  will 
raise  no  objection  when  we  slip  out  of  the  quarters, 
one  by  one,  and  climb  the  stockade.  As  fast  as 
we  get  over  we  will  select  our  horses — Fve  got 
mine  picked  out,  and  I  could  put  my  hand  on  him 
in  the  darkest  of  nights — and  when  the  last  one 
has  made  his  escape  we'll  mount  and  put  off. 
Of  course  we  hope  to  escape  by  running,  but  if 
we  can't  do  that,  we  shall  turn  at  bay  and  make 
a  fight  of  it.  We  have  all  sworn  to  stand  by  one 
another  to  the  last,  and  thirty  determined,  well- 
armed  men  can  make  things  lively  for  a  while, 
I  tell  you." 

Bristow  continued  to  talk  in  this  strain  for  half 
an  hour,  his  companion  now  and  then  putting  in  a 
word  to  assist  him;  and  he  talked  to  such  good 
purpose  that  Gus  Bobbins  finally  consented  to  make 
one  of  the  large  party  that  was  to  desert  the  post 
that  very  night.  Bristow  then  gave  him  the  names 
of  the  other  members — there  were  several  non- 


44  GEORGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

commissioned  officers  among  them — and  after  urg 
ing  him  to  be  very  careful  of  himself,  and  to  say 
and  do  nothing  that  might  arouse  the  suspicions 
of  "  outsiders,"  the  three  got  upon  their  feet  and 
walked  toward  the  fort. 

They  had  scarcely  left  the  ruins  when  a  fatigue- 
cap  arose  from  behind  a  pile  of  rubbish  scarcely  a 
dozen  feet  from  the  place  where  the  three  con 
spirators  had  been  sitting,  and  a  pair  of  eyes  look 
ing  out  from  under  the  peak  of  that  cap  watched 
them  as  they  moved  away. 


CHAPTER    III. 

BOB'S   FIRST   COMMAND. 

rilHE  eyes  that  were  so  closely  watching  the 
movements  of  Bristow  and  his  companions  be 
longed  to  Bob  Owens.  The  latter  had  strolled  off 
alone,  and  thrown  himself  behind  an  angle  of  the 
ruined  wall  to  indulge  in  a  few  moments'  quiet 
meditation,  and  thus  unwillingly  placed  himself  in 
a  position  to  overhear  the  details  of  the  plot  which 
we  have  just  disclosed.  If  Bristow  had  not  so 
promptly  entered  upon  the  discussion  of  the  sub 
ject  of  desertion,  Bob  would  have  made  his  pres 
ence  known  to  him ;  but  after  he  had  listened  to 
the  first  words  that  fell  from  his  lips  he  thought  it 
best  to  remain  quietly  in  his  place  of  concealment, 
for  he  knew  that  if  he  revealed  himself,  then  he 
would  be  accused  of  playing  the  part  of  eaves 
dropper. 

"Now,  here's  a  go!"  thought  Bob,  rising  to  his 
feet  when  he  saw  Bristow  and  his  two  friends  walk 

45 


46  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

through  the  gate  into  the  fort,  "  and  I  wish  some 
body  would  be  kind  enough  to  tell  me  what  I 
ousrht  to  do  about  it.  Shall  I  stand  quietly  by  and 
let  them  go,  or  shall  I  tell  the  officers  what  I  have 
heard  ?  If  I  let  them  go,  they  will  run  the  risk  of 
being  gobbled  up  by  that  party  of  Kiowas  who  are 
now  raiding  the  country  north  of  us ;  and  if  I  tell 
the  colonel,  and  it  should  ever  be  found  out  on  me, 
I  should  lead  a  hard  life  in  the  quarters.  I  wish 
I  had  been  somewhere  else  when  they  came  here." 

Thrusting  his  hands  deep  into  his  pockets,  Bob 
left  the  ruins,  and,  walking  slowly  around  the 
stockade,  entered  at  a  gate  on  the  opposite  side. 
His  first  care  was  to  hunt  up  the  sergeant-major 
of  his  regiment,  whom  he  found  in  the  quarters. 
This  man  had  grown  gray  in  the  service,  and  he 
was  a  soldier  all  over-r- brave,  faithful  and  untiring 
in  the  performance  of  his  duty.  He  readily  re 
sponded  to  Bob's  significant  wink,  and  followed 
him  out  on  the  parade. 

"  Sergeant,"  said  Bob  as  soon  as  they  were  be 
yond  earshot  of  everybody,  "I  have  accidentally 
come  into  the  possession  of  a  secret,  and  I  don't 
know  what  to  do  with  it.  There  are  thirty  men  in 
the  garrison  who  are  going  to  desert  to-night." 


47 

The  old  fellow  took  a  fresh  chew  of  tobacco; 
pushed  his  cap  on  the  back  of  his  head  and  looked 
at  Bob,  who,  after  telling  him  where  he  had  been 
and  how  he  happened  to  overhear  the  plot,  con 
tinued  : 

"  It  would  never  do  to  let  them  go.  You  know 
I  was  detailed  to  act  as  the  colonel's  orderly  this 
morning,  and  I  heard  that  scout  who  came  in  just 
before  noon  tell  him  that  there  is  a  large  party  of 
hostiles  between  here  and  Fort  Tyler.  These  de 
serters  intend  to  take  their  weapons  with  them, 
and  think  they  can  make  a  good  fight ;  but  those 
Kiowas  are  strong  enough  to  annihilate  them." 

" Small  loss  that  would  be  to  us!"  growled  the 
veteran.  "  We  are  going  to  have  some  hot  work 
to  do  before  long,  and  such  men  are  no  good  in  a 

fight." 

"  It  would  never  do  to  let  them  go,"  repeated 
Bob,  "  but  there  is  only  one  way  to  prevent  it  that 
I  can  see;  and  that  is  by  telling  the  colonel  all 
about  it.  If  I  do  that,  and  they  should  find  it  out, 
they  would  go  back  on  me,  sure." 

"  Of  course  they  would,"  said  the  sergeant. 

"  Well,  what  would  you  do  if  you  were  in  my 
place?"  asked  Bob. 


48  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

"What  would  I  do?  I  would  go  straight  to 
the  officer  of  the  day  and  tell  him  the  whole  thing. 
The  good-will  of  such  men  don't  amount  to  any 
thing,  any  way,  and  what  do  you  care  if  they  do 
go  back  on  you?  There's  only  thirty  of  them, 
and  that  leaves  three  hundred  and  fifty  good  fel 
lows  who  will  always  be  ready  to  befriend  you. 
Do  you  know  who  these  deserters  are  ?  I'll  report 
the  matter  if  you  are  afraid,  and  then  let's  see  one 
of  them  open  his  head  to  me." 

Bob  repeated  the  names  of  the  would-be  deserters 
which  Bristow  had  given  as  nearly  as  he  could  re 
call  them,  and  the  sergeant  hurried  off  to  hunt  up 
the  officer  of  the  day,  while  Bob  went  back  into 
the  quarters.  He  had  been  there  but  a  few  min 
utes  when  the  orderly  appeared  at  the  door  and 
sung  out, 

"  Owens,  the  colonel  wants  to  see  you." 

"  Aha !"  exclaimed  Bristow,  "  our  good  little  boy 
has  been  doing  something  bad  at  last. — There  are 
no  bunks  in  the  guard-house,  Owens." 

Bob  made  no  reply.  He  followed  the  orderly 
across  the  parade  and  into  the  colonel's  head-quar 
ters,  where  he  found  the  officer  of  the  day,  the 
sergeant-major  and  all  the  ranking  officers  of  the 


49 


garrison.  The  colonel  questioned  him  closely  in 
regard  to  the  plot  he  had  discovered,  and  finally 
dismissed  him  and  the  sergeant  without  making 
any  comments.  Half  an  hour  later  the  entire 
cavalry  force  of  the  garrison  was  drawn  up  in 
line,  the  names  of  forty  men  who  were  ordered  to 
the  front  and  centre  were  read  off,  and  the  rest  of 
the  troopers  were  sent  back  to  their  quarters. 
Then  the  bugle  sounded  "Boots  and  saddles!"  and 
in  a  few  minutes  more  these  forty  men — one  of 
whom  was  Bob  Owens — rode  out  of  the  gate,  led 
by  the  scout  who  had  brought  the  information 
concerning  that  war-party  of  Kiowas.  The  squad 
was  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Earle. 

"  That's  all  right,"  whispered  Bristow  to  one  of 
his  fellow-conspirators  as  they  stood  in  front  of  their 
quarters  and  saw  their  comrades  ride  away.  "  There 
will  be  just  so  many  men  less  to  follow  us  to 
morrow  morning.  But  I  wish  we  knew  which 
way  they  are  going,"  he  added  in  a  tone  of  anxiety ; 
"and  we  must  find  out  if  we  can.  We  don't  want 
to  run  into  them  if  we  can  possibly  avoid  them,  for 
there  are  some  of  the  best  men  in  the  garrison  in 
that  party." 

"  I  suppose  we  are  off  after  the  hostiles,"  said 


50  GEORGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

the  soldier  who  rode  by  Bob's  side.  "  The  scout 
told  the  colonel  that  there  were  three  hundred 
braves  in  that  party,  didn't  he  ?" 

Bob  answered  that  that  was  what  he  understood 
him.  to  say. 

"Then  I  wish  we  had  a  hundred  men  instead 
of  forty,"  continued  the  trooper.  "  Our  squad  is 
too  large  to  conceal  itself,  and  too  small  to  make  a 
successful  fight  against  such  overwhelming  odds. 
Well,  if  worst  comes  to  worst — " 

The  speaker  thrust  his  hand  into  his  boot-leg 
and  drew  out  a  loaded  Derringer.  He  intended 
to  send  its  contents  through  his  own  head  rather 
than  fall  alive  into  the  hands  of  the  hostiles. 
Probably  nine  out  of  ten  men  in  that  squad  were 
provided  with  weapons  just  like  it,  and  which  they 
intended  to  use  in  the  same  way  should  circum 
stances  require  it.  Veteran  Indian-fighters  never 
fail  to  give  this  advice  to  a  recruit :  "  When  it 
comes  to  a  fight,  save  the  last  shot  for  your 
self." 

But,  as  it  happened,  Bob  and  his  companions 
were  not  out  after  hostiles  on  this  particular  after 
noon,  for  that  raiding-party  of  Kiowas  was  already 
beyond  the  reach  of  any  force  that  the  commander 


51 


of  Fort  Lamoine  could  have  sent  in  pursuit  of  it. 
They  found  out  in  due  time  that  their  mission 
was  of  an  entirely  different  character.  They  rode 
at  a  sharp  trot  until  it  was  nearly  dark,  and  then 
they  went  into  camp  in  a  belt  of  post-oaks  and 
cooked  and  ate  their  supper.  After  an  hour's  rest 
they  mounted  and  rode  back  toward  the  fort  again. 
Arriving  within  a  mile  of  the  stockade,  a  halt  was 
ordered,  the  men  were  dismounted,  and,  every 
fourth  trooper  being  left  to  hold  the  horses,  the 
others  marched  off  through  the  darkness,  armed 
only  with  their  revolvers.  Then  Bob  began  to 
understand  the  matter.  The  object  of  the  expedi 
tion  was  to  capture  the  deserters.  It  had  been  led 
away  from  the  fort  simply  as  a  "  blind/'  and  in 
order  to  lull  the  malcontents  into  a  feeling  of  se 
curity  no  change  whatever  had  been  made  in 
the  guards  who  were  to  do  duty  that  night. 

After  the  lieutenant  had  marched  about  half  a 
mile  another  halt  was  ordered,  and  sixteen  men, 
divided  into  squads  of  four  men  each,  were  told  off 
to  begin  the  work.  The  officer  approached  each 
squad  in  turn,  and  after  designating  some  one  to 
take  charge  of  it,  gave  him  his  instructions  in  a 
whisper.  When  he  walked  up  to  Bob  he  asked, 


52  GEORGE   AT   THE  .FORT. 

"Do  you  know  where  post  No.  4  is?  and  can 
you  go  straight  to  it  without  making  any  mis 
take?" 

"Yes,  sir,  to  both  your  questions,"  was  the 
prompt  reply. 

"Very  well.  Take  command  of  this  squad  and 
go  and  arrest  Dodd,  whom  you  will  find  on  guard 
there.  Then  put  Carey  in  his  place,  and  come  back 
and  report  to  me  at  post  No.  1,  and  I  will  tell  you 
what  else  to  dx>.  The  countersign,'7  added  the  lieuten 
ant,  coming  a  step  nearer  to  Bob  and  speaking  in  a 
tone  so  low  that  no  one  else  could  catch  his  words, 
"is  '  Ouster.7  Be  quick  and  still.  Forward,  march  !" 

As  Bob  moved  away  with  his  squad  he  told  him 
self  that  fidelity  is  sometimes  appreciated.  This 
was  his  first  command,  and  he  knew  that  much  de 
pended  upon  the  way  in  which  he  executed  the  or 
ders  that  had  been  given  him.  If  they  were  faith 
fully  and  skilfully  carried  out,  he  might  hope  to 
be  entrusted  with  other  commands  in  future,  and 
so  be  given  opportunities  to  distinguish  himself  and 
win  promotion ;  for  Bob,  like  every  ambitious  boy, 
was  anxious  to  get  ahead  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

"What's  the  matter,  Owens?"  asked  all  the 
members  of  his  squad  in  concert  as  soon  as  they 


53 

were  out  of  the  lieutenant's  hearing.  They  were 
all  in  the  dark,  and  so  was  every  man  belonging 
to  the  expedition  with  the  exception  of  the  lieuten 
ant,  the  sergeant-major  and  Bob  Owens.  The  lat 
ter  explained  the  state  of  affairs  in  as  few  words 
as  he  could,  and  the  general  verdict  was  that  it 
would  have  been  no  loss  to  the  garrison,  or  to  the 
service  either,  if  Bristow  and  his  companions  had 
been  permitted  to  depart  in  peace. 

In  a  few  minutes  Bob  and  his  men  arrived  with 
in  sight  of  the  place  where  the  horses  were  staked 
out,  and  a  hoarse  voice  broke  the  stillness.  "  Halt ! 
Who  comes  there  ?"  was  the  challenge. 

"  Friends,  with  the  countersign/7  answered  Bob 
after  bringing  his  squad  to  a  halt. 

"  Advance,  one  friend,  and  give  the  countersign," 
was  the  next  command. 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  Bob  in  a  low  whisper,  "you 
stay  here,  and  when  I  call  out  '  Advance,  squad/ 
come  up  briskly  and  surround  Dodd,  so  as  to  be 
ready  to  overpower  him  if  he  shows  the  least  dis 
position  to  resist  or  cry  out." 

So  saying,  Bob  moved  off  in  the  direction  from 
which  the  hail  sounded,  ami  presently  discovered 
the  sentry,  who  stood  at  "  arms  port." 


54  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

"  Halt !"  commanded  the  guard  when  Bob  had 
approached  within  a  few  feet  of  him.  "Give  the 
countersign." 

Bob  whispered  the  magic  word. 

"  The  countersign  is  correct/'  said  the  sentry, 
bringing  his  carbine  to  a  carry. — "  It's  you,  is  it, 
Owens?  What's  the  matter?" 

"  Advance,  squad,"  said  Bob  in  a  low  tone. 
"  You  haven't  seen  anything  suspicious  going  on 
about  your  post,  have  you  ?"  he  added,  wishing  to 
occupy  the  sentry's  attention  until  his  men  could 
come  within  supporting  distance  of  him.  "No? 
Well,  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  there  is  something 
suspicious  about  you,  and  I  am  ordered  to  put  you 
in  arrest." 

He  laid  hold  of  the  carbine  as  he  said  this,  and 
at  the  same  moment  two  of  his  men  placed  their 
hands  upon  the  sentinel's  shoulders.  The  latter, 
seeing  that  resistance  was  useless,  promptly  gave  up 
his  piece  and  dropped  his  hands  by  his  sides.  "  It's 
all  that  Bristow's  work,"  said  he  in  angry  tones. 
"  I  knew  he  wouldn't  do  to  tie  to." 

"Don't  say  too  much,"  interposed  Bob.  "You 
don't  want  to  condemn  yourself. —  Carey,  take 
this  post  until  relieved." 


BOB'S    FIRST   COMMAND.  55 

As  Bob  marched  his  squad  and  his  prisoner  to  the 
|  *ace  where  he  was  to  meet  his  commanding  officer, 
he  found  the  intervening  posts  in  the  charge  of 
trusty  men.  Four  of  the  discontented  ones  had 
been  secured,  and  it  only  remained  for  the  lieuten 
ant  to  perfect  arrangements  for  seizing  the  others  as 
fast  as  they  came  out  of  the  fort.  He  had  already 
decided  upon  his  plan  of  operations,  and  Bob 
Owens  was  called  upon  to  take  the  first  step  toward 
carrying  it  out.  After  he  had  listened  to  some 
very  explicit  instructions  from  his  commander,  he 
stole  off  into  the  darkness,  and,  creeping  along  the 
outside  of  the  stockade  until  he  reached  a  point  oppo 
site  the  place  where  the  sentry  was  posted  behind 
the  stables,  he  stopped  and  waited  to  see  what  was 
going  to  happen.  About  ten  feet  from  him  on  his 
left  was  another  soldier,  standing  upright  and  mo 
tionless  in  the  shadow  of  the  stockade.  Ten  feet 
beyond  this  soldier  was  another.  These  were  all 
that  Bob  could  see,  but  he  knew  that  there  were 
good  men  and  true  stationed  at  regular  intervals  all 
along  the  stockade,  waiting  to  act  the  several  parts 
that  had  been  assigned  to  them. 

Bob  waited  and  listened  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
or  more,  and  then  he  heard  a  conversation  carried 


56  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

on  in  a  low  tone  on  the  other  side  of  the  stockade. 
He  could  not  catch  the  words,  but  he  knew  that 
the  deserters  were  beginning  to  bestir  themselves, 
and  that  one  of  their  number  was  talking  with  the 
sentry.  Presently  a  scratching,  scrambling  sound, 
accompanied  by  heavy,  labored  breathing  and  those 
incoherent  exclamations  that  men  sometimes  use 
when  they  are  exerting  themselves  to  the  utmost, 
told  Bob  that  somebody  was  making  his  way  up 
the  logs.  Keeping  his  eyes  fastened  on  the  top,  lie 
saw  a  soldier  climb  up  and  seat  himself  on  the 
plate.  He  could  see  him  very  plainly  against  the 
light  background  of  the  sky,  and  he  recognized 
him  at  once.  It  was  Bristow.  He  was  about  to 
swing  himself  off  when  he  discovered  Bob  stand 
ing  beneath  him.  He  stopped,  peered  down  into 
the  darkness  for  a  moment,  and  then  called  out 
in  a  frightened  whisper, 

"Who  is  it?" 

"  It's  all  right,"  whispered  Bob  in  reply ;  "  come 
on." 

"Who  is  it,  I  say?"  repeated  Bristow  in  still 
more  earnest  tones. 

"  Why,  don't  you  know  Dodd  ?  Hand  me  your 
carbine." 


BOB'S  rmsT  COMMAND.  57 

"  Oh  !"  said  Bristow  with  a  great  sigh  of  re 
lief.  "It  is  all  right,  isn't  it?  Here  you  are." 

Holding  his  carbine  by  the  strap,  Bristow  pass 
ed  it  down  to  Bob,  who  promptly  slung  it  upon 
his  back.  The  latter  then  pushed  up  his  sleeves, 
moved  back  a  little  from  the  stockade,  and  when 
Bristow  swung  himself  down  by  his  hands  and 
dropped  lightly  to  the  ground,  Bob  stepped  up 
and  took  him  by  the  arm. 

"  I  don't  need  any  help,"  said  Bristow,  who 
had  landed  squarely  on  his  feet.  "  But  I  say, 
Dodd— " 

"  We'll  talk  about  it  as  we  go  along,"  interrupted 
Bob.  "But  not  a  loud  word  out  of  you,  unless  you 
want  to  be  gagged." 

"  Why,  good  gracious,  it's  Owens  !''  gasped  Bris 
tow,  reeling  back  against  the  stockade.  He  did 
not  ask  what  Bob  was  doing  there  or  why  he  had 
seized  him,  for  he  knew  without  asking. 

"Yes,  it  is  Owens,  and  the  men  you  saw  ride 
out  of  the  gate  with  me  this  afternoon  are  with 
me  now.  Here's  one  of  them,"  added  Bob  as  a 
soldier  named  Loring  stepped  up  and  took  his 
place  in  readiness  to  catch  the  next  deserter  who 
came  over  the  stockade. 


58  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

Just  then  the  sentry  on  the  inside  placed  his 
mouth  close  to  one  of  the  cracks  between  the  logs 
and  asked,  in  a  cautious  tone, 

"  How  is  it,  Bristow  ?     Is  the  coast  clear  ?" 

"All  clear,"  replied  Loring,  speaking  through 
the  same  crack.  "Tell  the  boys  to  hurry  up; 
we've  no  time  to  waste." 

If  Bob's  captive  had  any  idea  of  attempting  to 
escape  or  of  alarming  his  companions  by  crying 
out,  he  abandoned  it  very  quickly  when  he  saw 
the  soldiers  that  were  stationed  along  the  stockade. 
There  was  a  trooper  for  every  deserter,  and  as  fast 
as  the  man  at  the  head  of  the  line  caught  one,  an 
other  moved  up  and  took  his  place. 

"  This  bangs  me  !"  said  Bristow,  in  great  disgust. 
"  Now  comes  a  court-martial  of  course,  and  Good 
ness  only  knows  what  will  come  after  that — the 
guard-house  and  a  heavy  fine,  or  the  military 
prison  at  Fort  Leavenworth. — I  say,  Owens,  how 
did  the  colonel  find  it  out?" 

"Do  you  suppose  he  tells  his  secrets  to  us  pri 
vates?''  asked  Bob  in  reply. 

"  We  spoke  to  somebody  who  was  not  worthy  of 
the  confidence  we  placed  in  him,"  continued  Bris 
tow.  "  The  thing  never  could  have  become  known 


59 

unless  one  of  our  own  number  had  proved  treach 
erous.  But  we  can  easily  find  out  who  he  is.  There 
are  just  thirty  of  us,  and  if  there  are  only  twenty- 
nine  arrested,  the  missing  man  is  the  guilty  one. 
When  I  find  out  who  he  is,  I  shall  take  particular 
pains  to  see  that  the  next  battle  he  gets  into  is  his 
last." 

This  threat  was  uttered  in  a  very  low  tone  of 
voice,  for  Bristow  and  his  captor  had  by  this  time 
reached  the  place  where  the  lieutenant  had  stationed 
himself  to  receive  his  men  when  they  came  in  with 
their  prisoners.  Bob  reported,  "  Your  orders  have 
been  obeyed,  sir,"  and  took  his  stand  close  behind 
his  officer. 

"  I  counted  only  twenty-six,"  said  Bristow  when 
the  sergeant-major  came  up  and  announced  the  com 
plete  success  of  the  undertaking.  "  There  must  be 
four  traitors  among  us." 

"  Have  you  counted  in  the  horse-guard^  ?"  ask 
ed  Bob.  "There  they  are  on  the  top* of  that 
ridge." 

No,  Bristow  had  not  counted  them  in,  for  he 
did  not  know  until  that  minute  that  they  had 
been  arrested.  He  was  very  much  astonished  when 
he  learned  that  every  one  of  his  party  had  been 


60  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

secured,  and  could  not  for  the  life  of  him  imagine 
how  the  colonel  had  found  out  about  it ;  for  that 
he  knew  all  about  it  was  evident  from  the  manner 
in  which  the  arrests  had  been  effected. 

Having  sent  one  of  his  men  back  to  order  up 
the  horses,  the  lieutenant  formed  his  captives  in 
line,  threw  a  guard  around  them  and  marched  them 
into  the  fort.  Halting  them  on  the  parade,  he  went 
in  to  report  to  the  colonel,  and  when  he  came  out 
again  he  put  every  one  of  them  into  the  guard 
house  ;  after  which  Bob  and  his  companions  went 
to  the  quarters  and  tumbled  into  their  bunks. 

Great  was  the  astonishment  among  the  soldiers 
the  next  morning  when  it  became  known  that  the 
expedition,  which  they  supposed  had  gone  out 
in  search  of  the  hostiles,  had  returned  to  the  fort 
and  captured  thirty  armed  men,  and  that  the 
work  had  been  done  so  quietly  that  the  sentry 
at  the  gate  never  knew  anything  about  it  until 
it  was  all  over.  Of  course  they  were  quite  at 
a  loss  to  determine  who  it  was  that  told  the  col 
onel  about  it;  and  the  general  impression  seemed 
to  be  that  if  there  were  a  traitor  among  the 
deserters,  he  had  allowed  himself  to  be  captured 
with  the  others  in  order  to  avoid  suspicion. 


61 

Among  the  non-commissioned  officers  who  had 
attempted  to  desert  was  one  of  the  corporals  be 
longing  to  Bob's  troop,  and  the  next  morning  Bob 
was  ordered  to  take  his  place  and  do  duty  as  cor 
poral  of  the  guard.  He  saw  the  prisoners  served 
with  breakfast,  and  the  numerous  orders  he  had 
to  give  opened  the  eyes  of  one  of  them,  who  be 
gan  to  think  he  had  made  a  discovery.  And  so 
he  had,  but  he  could  not  prove  it. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what's  a  fact,  boys/7  said  Bristow 
as  he  walked  to  a  remote  corner  of  his  prison  with 
a  cup  of  coffee  in  one  hand  and  some  cracker  and 
bacon  in  the  other  :  "  I  know  whom  we  have  to 
thank  for  our  arrest." 

"Who  is  it?"  asked  a  dozen  voices  at  once. 

"Fd  like  to  send  him  my  compliments  in  the 
shape  of  a  bullet  from  my  carbine,"  said  the  cor 
poral  whose  place  Bob  was  then  filling.  "Tell  us 
who  he  is,  so  that  we  can  improve  the  first  chance 
to  get  even  with  him." 

"  There  he  is,"  said  Bristow,  shaking  his  piece 
of  cracker  at  Bob.  "  Pie  has  been  trying  to  get 
on  the  blind  side  of  the  officers  for  a  long  time, 
as  you  all  know,  and  he  has  accomplished  his 
jbject  at  last  by  going  back  on  his  comrades." 


62  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

The  prisoners  looked  at  Bob  as  if  they  expected 
him  to  deny  the  accusation  ;  but,  to  the  disappoint 
ment  of  some  of  them  who  really  liked  him,  he 
had  nothing  to  say. 

u  Why  don't  you  speak  up  and  declare  that 
it  isn't  so?"  demanded  the  corporal. 

"  Because  he  dare  not/7  exclaimed  Bristow.  "  He 
couldn't  without  telling  a  lie,  and,  as  he  is  a  good 
little  boy,  he  wouldn't  do  that  for  the  world." 

"  I  don't  believe  he  did  it,"  said  another  of  the 
culprits.  "  He  is  not  one  of  us,  and  how  could  he 
have  found  it  out?  I  believe  that  the  traitor  is 
right  here  in  the  guard-house  under  arrest." 

"  I  know  he  isn't,"  declared  Bristow.  "  Bob 
Owens  is  the  only  traitor  there  is,  and  you  may 
depend  upon  it.  Now,  let  me  tell  you  just  what 
is  going  to  happen  when  the  court-martial  comes 
off:  it  will  be  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  of 
you  that  Owens  found  out  about  our  plans  in  some 
way  or  other,  and  went  straight  to  the  colonel  with 
them.  You  will  be  disrated,  Corporal  Jim,  and 
Lieutenant  Earle,  in  order  to  reward  Bob  for  car 
rying  tales  and  to  encourage  him  to  carry  more, 
will  give  him  your  place.  Why,  he  has  just  as 
good  as  got  the  stripes  on  his  arm  now." 


BOB'S    FIRST    COMMAND.  63 

Corporal  Jim  looked  daggers  at  Bob,  and  de 
clared  that  if  he  was  the  one  who  had  disclosed 
their  plot  to  the  colonel,  he  was  too  mean  for  any 
use,  and  ought  to  be  drummed  out  of  the  foi-t. 

"I  promised  that  if  I  ever  found  out  who  the 
informer  was  I  would  serve  him  worse  than  that," 
said  Bristow  in  savage  tones.  "  I  shall  keep  my 
promise,  too,  if  I  ever  get  the  chance,  for  I  am 
one  who  never  forgets  an  injury." 

Bob  Owens — who,  as  we  know,  was  not  wanting 
in  physical  courage — was  not  at  all  alarmed  by  this 
threat  and  a  good  many  others  like  it  to  which  he 
listened  during  the  fifteen  minutes  the  prisoners 
were  occupied  in  eating  their  breakfast.  He  be 
lieved  that  he  was  able  to  take  care  of  No.  1 ;  and 
when  the  critical  time  came,  as  it  did  a  few  weeks 
later,  he  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  everybody 
that  his  confidence  in  himself  was  not  misplaced. 

The  court-martial  was  not  long  delayed,  and 
the  findings  being  approved  by  the  proper  au 
thorities,  the  sentences  were  promptly  carried  out. 
The  culprits  were  confined  in  the  guard-house  for 
different  periods  of  time,  those  who  had  been  the 
most  active  in  inducing  their  comrades  to  desert 
serving  a  longer  sentence  than  their  victims,  and 


64  GEORGE    AT    THE    FORT. 

fines  were  imposed  upon  all  of  them,  Bristow's 
being  by  far  the  heaviest,  as  he  was  proved  to  be 
the  ringleader.  He  and  Gus  Robbins — both  of 
whom  had  been  almost  constantly  in  trouble  ever 
since  they  arrived  at  the  post — were  given  to  un 
derstand  that  if  they  were  detected  in  another  at 
tempt  at  desertion  they  could  make  up  their  minds 
to  see  the  inside  of  the  military  prison  at  Fort 
Leavenworth.  Bristow  proved  to  be  a  first-class 
prophet.  During  the  progress  of  the  trial  it  came 
out  that  Bob  Owens  was  the  one  who  discovered  the 
plot,  and  that  through  him  it  was  communicated 
to  the  colonel.  Corporal  Jim  was  of  course  re 
duced  to  the  ranks,  and  Bob  was  promoted  to  fill 
the  vacancy. 

During  the  next  few  weeks  nothing  of  interest 
happened  at  the  fort.  The  deserters  were  released 
as  fast  as  the  terms  for  which  they  were  sentenced 
expired,  some  of  them  penitent  and  fully  resolved  to 
do  better  in  future,  while  the  others  were  more  than 
ever  determined  to  escape  from  military  control,  in 
spite  of  all  the  officers  and  guards  that  could  be 
placed  around  them.  They  carried  out  their  deter 
mination,  too,  at  every  opportunity,  deserting  in 
parties  numbering  half  a  dozen  or  so,  and  they  gen- 


65 


erally  succeeded  in  eluding  persuit.  It  was  a  singu 
lar  fact  that  when  the  pursuers  were  commanded 
by  commissioned  officers  they  very  often  returned 
without  having  accomplished  anything,  but  when 
they  were  commanded  by  sergeants  or  corporals  they 
were  almost  always  successful.  Luck  was  on  the 
side  of  the  "non-coms.,"  and  the  colonel  finally 
learned  to  put  a  great  deal  of  confidence  in  them. 
Bob  Owens  was  particularly  fortunate  in  this  re 
spect,  and  that  was  the  reason  his  superior  sent  for 
him  one  morning  after  the  officer  of  the  day  had 
reported  that  seven  men  had  deserted  during  the 
previous  night,  taking  their  arms  and  a  supply  of 
ammunition  with  them. 

6 


CHAPTER    IV. 

A   PERILOUS   UNDERTAKING. 

"  /CORPORAL,"  said  the  commandant,  taking 
^  off  his  eye-glasses  with  a  jerk,  as  he  always 
did  when  he  was  about  to  say  something  emphatic, 
"  there  are  the  names  of  seven  men  who  deserted  last 
night.  I  want  you  to  take  command  of  a  squad  and 
follow  them  up  and  arrest  them." 
"Very  good,  sir,"  replied  Bob. 
"  I  don't  know  which  way  they  went,  or  anything 
about  it,"  continued  the  colonel.  "  That  is  some 
thing  you  will  have  to  find  out  for  yourself.  I  do 
know,  however,  that  they  went  on  foot,  and  that 
they  are  armed  and  well  supplied  with  ammunition. 
I  want  you  to  capture  them  at  all  hazards — at  all 
hazards,  I  say,"  repeated  the  colonel,  bringing  his 
open  hand  down  upon  the  table  with  a  ringing 
slap.  "  If  you  come  back  without  them  you  need 
not  offer  any  excuses,  for  I  shall  not  listen  to  them. 
Arrest  anybody  you  catch  outside  the  stockade 


A    PERILOUS    UNDERTAKING.  67 

wearing  a  United  States  uniform,  no  matter  who 
he  is.  There  have  been  no  passes  granted  this 
morning,  and  no  one  except  the  guards  and  the 
officer  of  the  day  has  any  business  outside.  That's 
all." 

Bob  saluted  and  hurried  from  the  room.  As 
he  passed  through  the  hall  he  glanced  at  the  list  he 
held  in  his  hand,  and  saw  that  it  was  headed  by  the 
names  of  Bristow  and  Gus  Bobbins. 

"  This  is  about  the  easiest  job  I  have  had  yet, 
and  these  fellows  are  just  as  good  as  captured 
already,"  said  he  to  himself.  "  I  know  right  where 
to  look  for  them,  and  I  wouldn't  be  in  their  shoes 
for  all  the  money  the  paymaster  had  in  his  safe  the 
last  time  he  was  here.  They  are  booked  for  Leav- 
enworth,  sure. — May  I  go  out,  Willis  ?"  he  asked 
of  the  sentry  at  the  gate ;  "  I  am  acting  under 
orders." 

"  That's  all  right,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  the  officer 
of  the  day  told  me  to  pass  you.  You  are  going 
after  those  deserters,  I  suppose?  Well,  now,  look 
here,"  added  the  sentry,  after  looking  all  around  to 
make  sure  that  there  was  no  officer  in  sight :  "  you 
remember  those  mulewhackers  who  brought  that 
freight  here  the  other  day,  don't  you  ?  Well,  Bris- 


68  GEORGE    AT   THE*  FORT. 


tow  and  the  rest  have  gone  off  to  join  them.  I  am 
certain  of  it,  for  I  heard  Bristow  talking  with  them, 
and  they  assured  him  that  the  wagon-master  would 
give  him  steady  work  and  good  wages  if  he  would 
hire  out  to  him.  Bristow  didn't  hesitate  to  talk 
with  them  about  it  in  the  presence  of  a  dozen  of 
us." 

"  That  was  only  a  ruse  on  his  part/'  said  Bob 
confidently.  "  If  I  followed  the  trail  of  those 
teamsters  I  should  have  my  trouble  for  my  pains. 
I  am  going  as  straight  toward  Brownsville  as  I 
can  go,  and  I  shall  have  my  hand  on  Mr.  Bristow's 
collar  before  I  have  gone  thirty  miles.  You  may 
rest  assured  that  I  shall  not  come  back  without 
him,  for  if  I  do  I  don't  know  what  the  colonel 
will  say  to  me." 

Bob  hastened  toward  the  place  where  the  horses 
were  picketed,  and  there  he  found  the  officer  of  the 
day  and  the  six  picked  men  who  had  been  detail 
ed  to  accompany  him.  It  was  the  work  of  but  a 
few  minutes  to  lead  their  horses  into  the  fort  and 
put  the  saddles  and  bridles  on  them ;  and  when  this 
had  been  done,  and  Bob  and  his  men  had  secured 
their  carbines,  sabres  and  revolvers  and  put  two 
days'*  rations  in  their  haversacks,  they  mounted  and 


A   PERILOUS   UNDERTAKING.  69 

rode  through  the  gate  at  a  sharp  trot.  They  were 
quiet  and  orderly  enough  as  long  as  they  remained 
within  sight  of  the  fort,  but  when  the  first  ridge 
over  which  they  passed  shut  them  out  from  view 
they  abandoned  their  efforts  to  keep  in  column, 
threw  off  all  restraint  and  shouted  and  sang  at 
the  top  of  their  voices.  They  looked  upon  an 
expedition  like  this  as  a  "  lark,"  and  enjoyed  it 
as  much  as  a  schoolboy  enjoys  a  picnic. 

Bob  did  not  stop  at  the  first  ranches  he  passed, 
for  he  knew  that  the  deserters  (provided,  of  course, 
that  they  had  fled  along  that  trail)  must  have  gone 
by  them  in  the  night,  and  that  consequently  their 
inmates  could  give  him  no  information.  Besides, 
Bob  had  learned  by  experience  that  there  was  very 
little  confidence  to  be  placed  in  anything  the  ranche- 
men  might  say  regarding  a  deserter.  A  good  many 
of  them  had  served  in  the  army  during  the  war, 
and,  knowing  how  very  hard  is  the  life  a  soldier 
leads,  they  sympathized  with  him  in  his  efforts  to 
escape,  and  aided  him  by  every  means  in  their 
power.  Where  there  was  one  farmer  or  stock- 
raiser  who  would  give  a  squad  like  Bob's  any 
information  that  could  be  relied  on,  there  were  a 
dozen  who  would  conceal  the  deserter  in  their 


70  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

houses  and  send  his  pursuers  off  on  the  wrong 
trail 

After  Bob  and  his  troopers  had  ridden  about 
fifteen  miles,  and  had  shouted  and  sung  off  a  lit 
tle  of  their  surplus  enthusiasm,  they  relapsed  into 
siknce  and  settled  down  to  business.  They  halted 
on  the  top  of  every  ridge  to  survey  the  country  be 
fore  them,  and  called  at  every  ranche  that  lay  along 
their  route ;  but  nothing  was  to  be  seen  or  heard  of 
Bristow  and  his  party.  About  noon  they  came  with 
in  sight  of  a  squatter's  cabin,  and  Bob  decided  to 
stop  there  and  eat  dinner.  The  owner  of  the  cabin 
was  at  home,  and  he  welcomed  the  horsemen  with 
every  appearance  of  cordiality. 

"Alight  an' hitch,  strangers/'  said  he,  when  he 
had  succeeded  in  quieting  the  small  army  of  dogs 
which  came  out  from  under  the  cabin  to  dispute 
the  further  advance  of  the  troopers.  "You're  as 
welcome  as  the  flowers  in  May." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Bob  as  he  swung  himself  from 
his  saddle.  "  We  intend  to  stop  here  and  rest  for 
an  hour  or  so.  We'll  boil  our  coffee  and  cook  our 
rations  on  your  stove,  if  you  have  no  objections." 

"  I  ain't  got  no  stove,"  replied  the  squatter  hasti 
ly — "  leastways,  none  that  you  can  do  cookin'  on/' 


A   PERILOUS   UNDERTAKING.  71 

he  added,  with  some  confusion,  when  he  saw  Bob 
and  one  or  two  of  his  men  look  up  at  the  stove 
pipe  which  projected  above  the  roof. 

"All  right !"  replied  the  corporal,  silencing  by 
a  look  one  of  the  troopers  who  was  about  to  say 
something.  "Then  we  shall  have  to  build  a  fire 
outside;  but  that  will  do  just  as  well,  for  we  are 
used  to  cooking  our  grub  in  that  way. — Now, 
Carey,  if  you  and  Loring  will  skirmish  around 
and  find  some  wood  and  start  the  coffee-pot  go 
ing,  we  will  look  out  for  your  nags." 

"  Corporal,"  whispered  one  of  the  troopers, 
"there's  a  bug  under  that  chip.  In  other  words, 
this  old  rascal  has  some  reason  for  wishing  to  keep 
us  out  of  his  cabin." 

"Say  nothing  out  loud,"  replied  Bob  with  a 
warning  gesture.  "We  are  on  the  right  track, 
and  I  know  it.  If  we  fail  now,  it  will  be  through 
our  own  blundering." 

Having  seen  the  horses  staked  out,  Bob  walked 
back  to  the  cabin,  and  found  the  squatter  in  con 
versation  with  Carey  and  Loring.  His  first  words 
indicated  that  he  had  been  trying  to  pump  them, 
but  without  success. 

"Say,  soldier,  where  might  you  be  a-travellin' 


72  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

to  ?"  he  asked  as  Bob  came  up.  "  I  asked  them 
two  fellows,  an7  they  told  me  I  had  better  ask 
you." 

"  We  are  looking  for  seven  deserters  who  passed 
this  way  some  time  this  morning,"  answered  Bob. 
"They  were  on  foot  and  carried  carbines.  Seen 
anything  of  such  a  party?" 

The  squatter  brought  his  hands  together  with  a 
loud  slap  before  he  replied. 

"I  jest  knowed  them  fellows  wasn't  what  they 
allowed  they  was,"  said  he.  "  In  course  I  seed  'em, 
an'  they  told  me  they  was  a-lookin'  for  deserters 
themselves.  They  went  off  that  way,  toward  the 
old  Brazos  trail,"  added  the  squatter,  pointing  in 
a  direction  which  lay  exactly  at  right  angles  with 
the  course  Bob  had  been  pursuing. 

"  Did  they  ?"  exclaimed  the  corporal  with  a  great 
show  of  eagerness.  "  Thank  you  for  the  informa 
tion.  We  will  go  that  way  too  as  soon  as  we 
have  eaten  dinner.  How  long  ago  did  they  pass 
this  way?" 

"Jest  at  daylight," 

"That's  another  lie,"  said  Bob  to  himself.  "They 
didn't  desert  until  after  midnight,  and  they  couldn't 
have  travelled  between  fifteen  and  twenty  miles  in 


A   PEEILOUS   UNDERTAKING.  73 

less  than  five  hours  on  foot.  An  infantryman  might 
do  it  on  a  pinch,  but  a  trooper  couldn't." 

"You'll  have  to  hurry  up  if  you  want  to  ketch 
'em/'  continued  the  squatter,  who  seemed  to  grow 
nervous  when  he  saw  how  deliberately  the  troopers 
went  about  their  preparations  for  dinner.  "  They 
was  a-lumberin'  along  right  peart." 

"  Oh,  there's  no  need  that  we  should  throw  our 
selves  into  a  perspiration,"  replied  Bob  indiffer 
ently.  "  We  don't  care  if  we  don't  find  them  for 
a  week.  You  see,  when  we  are  out  on  an  expedi 
tion  like  this  we  are  not  obliged  to  drill,  and  our 
pay  goes  on  just  the  same.  If  you  have  anything 
good  to  eat,  trot  it  out ;  we're  wealthy." 

But  the  squatter  protested  that  he  had  nothing  in 
his  cabin  except  bacon  and  crackers,  and  his  supply 
of  these  necessary  articles  was  so  small  that  he 
could  not  possibly  spare  any  of  it.  He  said  so 
much  on  this  point  that  the  troopers  would  have 
been  dull  indeed  if  they  had  not  suspected  some 
thing. 

"  He  wants  to  get  us  away  from  here,  doesn't 
he?"  said  Carey  as  soon  as  he  had  a  chance  to 
speak  to  Bob.  "He  thinks  that  if  he  provides  us 
with  a  good  dinner  we  will  spend  a  long  time  in 


74  GEORGE   At   THE   FORT. 

eating  it.  Now,  corporal,  I  will  bet  you  anything 
you  please  that — " 

"  I  know,"  interrupted  Bob,  "  and  I  want  you  to 
take  a  look  into  the  matter  at  once.  This  is  my 
plan." 

Here  Bob  whispered  some  rapid  instructions  to 
the  trooper,  who  winked  first  one  eye  and  then  the 
other  to  show  that  he  understood  them.  Pulling 
his  pipe  from  his  pocket,  he  proceeded  to  fill  it 
with  tobacco,  while  Bob  walked  up  to  the  squatter, 
and,  taking  him  confidentially  by  the  arm,  said, 
as  he  led  him  out  of  earshot  of  the  men,  who  had 
seated  themselves  about  the  fire, 

"May  I  have  a  word  with  you  in  private? 
You  see,  I  am  an  officer,  and  it  won't  do  for  me 
to  talk  too  freely  in  the  presence  of  those  I  com 
mand." 

So  saying,  Bob  led  the  squatter  behind  the  cabin 
and  began  making  some  very  particular  inquiries 
concerning  Bristow  and  his  party :  What  sort  of 
looking  fellows  were  they  ?  What  did  they  say  ? 
Did  they  get  anything  to  eat  at  the  cabin?  and  did 
his  friend  the  squatter  really  think  they  had  gone 
toward  the  old  Brazos  trail  ?  The  man  was  very 
uneasy,  and  seemed  impatient  to  go  back  to  the  fire 


A   PERILOUS    UNDERTAKING.  75 

again ;  but  by  holding  fast  to  his  arm,  and  plying 
him  with  such  questions  as  these,  Bob  managed  to 
keep  him  behind  the  cabin  for  about  five  minutes, 
and  that  was  long  enough  for  Carey  to  carry  out 
the  orders  that  had  been  given  him. 

As  soon  as  Bob  and  the  squatter  disappeared 
around  the  corner  of  the  cabin,  Carey  put  his  pipe 
into  his  mouth,  and,  enjoining  silence  upon  his 
comrades  by  shaking  his  fore  finger  at  them,  he 
quickly  mounted  the  steps  that  led  to  the  porch 
and  walked  into  the  cabin.  As  he  did  so  there  was 
a  faint  rustling  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  and,  look 
ing  over  his  left  shoulder  without  turning  his  head, 
Carey  saw  a  man  who  was  lying  on  a  rude  couch 
draw  a  blanket  quickly  over  his  face.  In  his  eager 
ness  to  conceal  his  features  the  man  probably  for 
got  that  he  had  a  pair  of  feet,  for  he  pulled  the 
blanket  up  a  little  too  high. 

"  Aha !  my  fine  lad,"  said  the  trooper  as  he  noise 
lessly  opened  the  stove-door  and  looked  into  it,  as 
if  he  were  searching  for  a  live  coal  with  which  to 
light  his  pipe,  "  I  see  a  pair  of  No.  1 2  army  bro- 
gans,  and  also  the  lower  portions  of  a  pair  of  light 
blue  breeches  with  a  yellow  stripe  down  the  seams. 
Bryant,  my  boy,  that's  you.  I  see  also  that  this 


76  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

stove  is  in  perfect  order,  but  as  there  are  no  coals 
in  it,  I'll  have  to  get  a  light  at  the  fire  outside." 

When  Carey  came  out  of  the  cabin  his  comrades' 
fa  ,es  were  full  of  inquiry,  but  the  trooper  only 
winked  at  them  and  nodded  his  head,  as  if  to  say 
that  he  could  tell  something  that  would  astonish 
them  if  he  only  felt  so  disposed. 

By  this  time  dinner  was  ready,  and  Loring's 
loud  call  of  "  Coffee  !"  brought  Bob  and  the  squat 
ter  from  behind  the  cabin.  The  latter  accepted 
Loring's  invitation  to  drink  a  cup  of  coffee  with 
"  the  boys,"  but  he  disposed  of  it  in  great  haste, 
hot  as  it  was,  as  if  he  hoped  by  his  example  to  in 
duce  them  to  do  likewise.  But  Bob  and  his  com 
panions  were  in  no  hurry.  They  lingered  a  long 
time  over  their  homely  meal,  and  then  the  smokers 
were  allowed  to  empty  a  pipe  apiece  before  the  or 
der  was  given  to  "  catch  up."  The  squatter  began 
to  breathe  easier  after  that,  and  when  he  saw  the 
troopers  in  their  saddles  and  ready  to  start,  his  de 
light  was  so  apparent  that  they  all  noticed  it. 

"  Wa'l,  good-bye,  if  you  must  go,"  said  he  cheer 
ily.  "Will  you  stop  when  you  come  back?" 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  expect  to  see  us  here  again," 
said  Bob.  "  If  we  go  to  Brazos  City,  we  shall 


A   PERILOUS   UNDERTAKING.  77 

take  a  short  cut  across  the  country  when  we  re 
turn  to  the  fort." 

"  That's  where  I  reckon  they're  goin',  as  I  told 
you ;  an'  my  advice  would  be  for  you  to  go  straight 
to  Brazos,  without  stoppin'  on  the  way,  an'  when 
they  get  there  you'll  be  all  ready  to  take  'em  in. 
See?" 

"  Yes,  I  see,"  answered  Bob,  "  and  it's  some 
thing  worth  thinking  of. — Forward,  column  left  ! 
Trot!  gallop!" 

The  troopers  moved  rapidly  away  from  the  cabin, 
and,  to  the  intense  surprise  and  indignation  of  all 
his  followers,  who  thought  that  their  corporal  had 
been  deceived  by  the  squatter,  Bob  led  them  off 
toward  the  old  Brazos  trail.  At  length  one  of  them 
ventured  to  remonstrate. 

"Corporal,"  said  he,  "you're  going  wrong." 

"  I  know  it,"  answered  Bob. — "  Carey,  tell  us 
what  you  saw  in  that  cabin.  Were  our  suspicions 
correct  ?" 

"  Indeed  they  were,"  was  Carey's  reply.  "  In 
the  first  place,  that  stove  was  all  right,  but  the 
squatter  didn't  want  us  to  use  it,  for  Bryant  was 
hiding  in  the  cabin.  He  was  lying  on  the  floor, 
covered  up  with  a  blanket." 


78  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

"  How  do  you  know  it  was  Bryant  ?"  asked  Bob. 
"Did  you  see  his  face?" 

"  No,  I  didn't ;  it  was  concealed  by  the  blanket. 
]  saw  his  feet,"  said  Carey;  and  his  answer  was 
received  by  the  troopers  with  a  sigh  of  satisfac 
tion.  It  was  all  that  was  needed  to  establish  he 
identity  of  the  man  who  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
squatter's  cabin. 

"I  didn't  think  I  could  be  wrong,"  observed 
Bob,  "  for  that  man  condemned  himself  before  we 
had  been  in  his  presence  ten  minutes." 

•  "  Why  don't  you  go  back  and  snatch  Bryant?" 
demanded  one  of  the  troopers,  seeing  that  the 
corporal  did  not  slacken  his  pace.  "  Why  didn't 
you  do  it  while  we  were  at  the  cabin  ?" 

"  Because  I  had  no  right  to  do  it,"  answered 
Bob.  "  If  I  should  go  to  searching  houses,  I 
might  get  myself  into  trouble  with  the  colonel. 
Another  thing,  boys :  J  shouldn't  care  to  enter 
that  man's  castle  to  look  for  anything  unless  I 
was  a  civil  officer  and  armed  with  a  search-war 
rant.  He  is  a  hard  one,  unless  his  looks  belie 
him." 

"  I  thought  so  myself,"  said  Loring.  "  But 
you  are  not  going  back  without  Bryant,  are  you  ? 


A    PERILOUS    UNDERTAKING.  79 

What  do  you  suppose  he  is  doing  there,  any 
way?" 

"  Of  course  I  shall  not  go  back  without  him," 
answered  Bob  quietly.  "  He  has  probably  hired 
out  to  that  squatter,  and  we  must  watch  our  chance 
and  catch  him  out  of  doors  before  we  can  arrest 
him." 

"Well,  are  you  going  to  Brazos  City?" 

"  Not  by  a  long  shot.  Bristow  and  the  fellows 
who  are  still  with  him  have  not  gone  that  way. 
As  soon  as  we  get  behind  that  belt  of  post-oaks 
you  see  in  advance  of  us,  I  intend  to  circle  around 
and  go  back  toward  the  river  again." 

Although  the  troopers  rode  at  a  rapid  gait,  it 
took  them  nearly  three  hours  to  carry  out  this 
programme.  At  the  end  of  that  time  they  struck 
the  old  stage-road,  which,  in  the  days  gone  by, 
had  served  as  a  highway  between  Brownsville  and 
some  of  the  remote  frontier-towns;  but  when  the 
raiders  forced  the  settlements  back  into  the  interior 
the  stage-route  was  abandoned,  and  all  that  now 
remained  to  tell  of  the  business  that  had  once  been 
done  on  it  were  the  half-ruined  stations  which  were 
scattered  along  the  road  at  intervals  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  miles. 


80  GEORGE   AT   THE    FOET. 

These  stations  were  built  of  stone,  and  were 
large  enough  to  accommodate  a  dozen  horses  and 
half  as  many  stable-men  and  drivers,  besides  the 
necessary  food  for  both  men  and  animals.  Each 
station  was  provided  with  a  "dug-out,"  a  minia 
ture  fort,  into  which  the  employes  of  the  route 
could  retreat  in  case  they  were  attacked  by  hos 
tile  Indians  or  Mexican  raiders.  It  was  simply  a 
cellar  of  sufficient  size  to  shelter  nine  or  ten  men 
at  close  quarters,  covered  with  logs  and  dirt,  and 
furnished  with  loopholes  on  all  sides  at  the  height 
of  a  foot  or  more  above  the  ground.  It  looked 
like  a  mound  of  earth  supported  on  logs  about  two 
feet  high.  The  only  way  of  getting  into  one  of  these 
little  fortifications  was  through  an  underground  pas 
sage-way  which  led  from  the  stables.  With  these 
arrangements  for  their  defence  a  few  well-armed 
and  determined  men  could  hold  their  own  against 
all  the  raiders  that  could  get  around  them. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Bob  and  his 
troopers  came  within  sight  of  one  of  these  stations, 
and  as  soon  as  their  eyes  rested  upon  it  they  drew 
up  their  horses  with  a  jerk,  at  the  same  time  ut 
tering  exclamations  of  astonishment  and  delight. 
Standing  in  front  of  the  open  door  were  several 


A    PERILOUS    UNDERTAKING.  81 

men  dressed  in  the  uniform  of  the  regular  army. 
They  seemed  to  be  holding  a  consultation,  and  so 
deeply  engrossed  were  they  with  their  deliberations 
that  they  did  not  notice  the  approach  of  the  troop 
ers,  although  the  latter  had  stopped  their  horses 
on  the  summit  of  a  high  ridge  in  plain  view  f 
them. 

"  T  wonder  if  those  are  our  men  ?"  said  Carey, 
with  some  excitement  in  his  tones. 

"We  shall  soon  know,"  was  Bob's  calm  reply. 
"  Whoever  they  are,  they  will  have  to  give  an 
account  of  themselves,  for  I  am  instructed  to  ar 
rest  everybody  I  meet  wearing  a  uniform." 

"If  they  are  our  fellows,  we've  got  them  cor 
ralled/7  remarked  Loring. 

"  Yes,  but  I  don't  much  like  the  way  we  have 
'  corralled  '  them,"  returned  Carey.  "  Do  you  see 
that  dug-out  about  twenty  yards  from  the  north 
west  corner  of  the  station  ?  If  they  go  in  there 
they  can  laugh  at  us.  The  only  way  we  could 
get  them  out  would  be  to  starve  them  out." 

"  That  would  take  too  long,"  said  Bob ;  and 
the  tone  in  which  the  words  were  uttered  made 
his  comrades  look  at  him  with  some  curiosity. 
"Let's  go  down  there  and  interview  them,  and 

6 


82  GEORGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

then  we  shall  know  how  to  act.  Forward ! 
Trot!" 

Just  as  these  commands  were  given  a  commotion 
among  the  men  in  front  of  the  station  indicated  that 
somebody  had  sounded  an  alarm.  They  gazed  at 
the  troopers  for  a  moment  as  if  they  were  thunder 
struck,  and  then  made  a  simultaneous  rush  for  the 
entrance.  This  action  on  their  part  told  Bob  as 
plainly  as  wrords  that  they  were  the  men  of  whom 
he  had  been  sent  in  pursuit,  and  that  they  did  not 
intend  to  go  back  to  the  fort  if  they  could  help  it. 
A  moment  later  a  loud  slamming  and  pounding 
indicated  that  the  deserters  were  trying  to  close 
and  barricade  the  door.  This  had  scarcely  been 
accomplished  when  the  troopers  dashed  up  to 
the  station  and  swung  themselves  out  of  their 
saddles. 

Leaving  two  of  his  men  to  hold  the  horses,  Bob 
and  the  rest  walked  around  the  corner  of  the  sta 
tion  and  looked  at  the  dug-out.  There  was  a  face 
in  front  of  every  loophole.  Anybody  could  see 
that  the  deserters  had  the  advantage  of  position, 
and  the  troopers  wondered  what  Bob  was  going 
to  do  about  it.  They  glanced  at  his  face,  but  could 
see  nothing  there  to  tell  them  whether  he  was  ex- 


A    PERILOUS    UNDERTAKING.  83 

cited,  afraid  or  discouraged.  It  wore  its  usual  ex 
pression. 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  Bob  at  length,  "  if  you  have 
grown  tired  of  roaming  about  the  country,  come 
out,  and  we  will  go  back  to  the  post.  The  colonel 
wants  to  see  you." 

"  We  don't  doubt  it,  but  we  don't  want  to  see 
him/'  replied  a  voice  that  Bob  recognized  at  once. 
"  We  think  we  see  ourselves  going  back !  We 
didn't  desert  for  that." 

"Gus  Bobbins,  I  am  sorry  that  you  are  in  there," 
said  Bob.  "  What  will  you  say  to  your  father  and 
mother  when  you  see  them  again  ?" 

"  Don't  know,  I  am  sure,"  answered  Gus. 
"  Haven't  had  any  time  to  think  about  that.  But 
you  know  yourself  that  I  can't  go  back  to  the 
post.  The  colonel  said  that  if  I  were  ever  court- 
martialled  again  for  desertion,  I  should  go  to  pris 
on;  but  I'll  fight  till  I  drop  before  I'll  do 
that." 

"Say,  Bob,"  shouted  another  voice,  "do  you 
remember  what  I  said  I  would  do  to  that  inform 
er  if  I  ever  found  out  who  he  was?  You  are 
the  fellow,  and  here's  your  pay." 

It  was   Bristow   who  spoke,  and  as  lie  uttered 


84  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

these  words  he  thrust  the  muzzle  of  his  carbine 
through  the  loophole  in  front  of  him.  The  chorus 
of  ejaculations  and  remonstrances  which  arose  from 
the  inside  of  the  dug-out  showed  that  the  rest  of 
the  deserters  were  not  yet  ready  to  resort  to  the 
use  of  their  firearms;  but  Bristow  was  almost 
half  crazed  by  rage  and  fear,  and  just  as  some 
body  seized  him  from  behind  and  jerked  him 
away  from  the  loophole,  his  carbine  roared,  and 
Bob  Owens  turned  halfway  round  and  staggered 
back  a  step  or  two,  as  if  he  were  struck  and 
about  to  fall. 

This  unexpected  act  excited  Bob's  troopers — 
with  whom  he  was  an  especial  favorite — almost 
to  frenzy.  Believing  that  he  had  been  seriously 
if  not  fatally  injured — it  did  not  seem  possible  that 
anybody  could  miss  a  mark  of  the  size  of  his  body 
at  the  distance  of  ten  paces — one  of  them  sprang 
forward  to  support  him,  while  the  others  discharg 
ed  their  carbines  at  the  loopholes  in  rapid  succes 
sion.  Their  volley  was  not  entirely  without  effect,. 
for  a  loud  yell  of  agony  came  from  the  inside  of 
the  dug-out,  bearing  testimony  to  the  fact  that 
one  bullet  at  least  had  found  a  target  somewhere 
on  the  person  of  one  of  the  deserters. 


A    PERILOUS   UNDERTAKING.  85 

"Cease  firing!"  shouted  Bob. 

He  gently  released  himself  from  the  embrace  of 
the  strong  arms  that  had  been  thrown  around  him, 
and  looked  down  at  the  gaping  rent  Bristow's  bul 
let  had  made  in  the  breast  of  his  coat.  The  mis 
sile  had  passed  through  his  thick  carbine-sling  and 
breast-belt,  had  cut  into  his  coat,  vest  and  shirt, 
and  ploughed  a  deep  furrow  through  a  well-filled 
wallet  which  he  carried  in  his  inside  pocket.  For 
tunately,  it  was  a  glancing  shot,  but  the  force  with 
which  it  struck  him  was  almost  sufficient  to  knock 
him  off  his  feet. 

"  I'm  not  hurt  at  all,"  said  he  as  his  men  crowd 
ed  about  him,  "  but  I  shall  have  to  put  a  patch  on 
my  coat  when  I  get  back  to  the  post. — I  say,  there," 
he  shouted,  addressing  himself  to  the  inmates  of 
the  dug-out,  "  was  there  anybody  hurt  in  there  ? 
I  thought  I  heard  a  yell." 

"  Yes,  and  you'll  hear  another  yell  if  you  don't 
go  away  and  let  us  alone,"  replied  Bristow.  "  I'll 
make  a  better  shot  the  next  time  I  pull  on  you." 

"  All  right !"  said  Bob.  "  I'll  give  you  a  chance 
in  just  about  five  minutes. — Loring, "  he  added  in 
a  lower  tone,  "  you  and  Phillips  stay  here  and  hold 
the  horses,  and  the  rest  of  you  follow  me." 


86  GEOEGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

"  Are  you  going  to  storm  them  ?"  asked  Loring. 

"  I  am,"  was  the  decided  reply.  "  It  is  the  only 
way  I  can  get  them  out,  for  they'll  not  come  of 
their  own  free  will." 

"  Then  I  shaVt  stay  here  and  hold  the  horses ; 
that's  flat,"  declared  Loring. 

"Neither  will  I,"  chimed  in  Phillips.  "The 
picket-pins  will  hold  them  as  well  as  we  can." 

"All  right!"  replied  Bob.  "Stake  them  out, 
and  while  you  are  doing  it  Carey  and  I  will  see 
how  we  are  going  to  get  into  the  station." 

The  door  to  which  Bob  now  turned  his  attention 
did  not  prove  to  be  a  very  serious  obstacle.  It 
was  made  of  heavy  planks,  and  if  it  had  been  in 
good  condition  it  would  have  taken  a  good  deal  of 
chopping  with  a  sharp  axe  before  one  could  have 
forced  his  way  through  it;  but  the  hinges  had  rust 
ed  off,  and  the  planks  had  shrunk  to  such  a  degree 
that  the  bar  which  held  the  door  in  its  place  could 
be  seen  and  reached  with  a  sabre.  A  few  blows 
with  one  of  these  weapons  knocked  this  bar  from 
its  place,  and  when  that  was  done,  the  door,  hav 
ing  nothing  to  support  it,  fell  back  into  the  stable 
with  a  loud  crash.  Bob  entered,  with  Carey  at  his 
heels,  and,  making  his  way  to  a  small  apartment 


A    PERILOUS   UNDERTAKING.  87 

which  had  once  been  used  as  a  sleeping-room  by  the 
stablemen  and  drivers,  he  found  there  a  trap-door, 
which  he  threw  open,  revealing  a  flight  of  rude  steps 
leading  into  the  underground  passage  that  com 
municated  with  the  dug-out.  By  this  time  the  rest 
of  the  troopers  arrived  on  the  scene.  They  looked 
dubiously  at  the  dark  passage-way,  and  then  they 
looked  at  Bob. 

" Do  you  really  mean  to  go  down  there,  Owens?" 
asked  Loring.  "  It's  sure  death." 

"  I  believe  so  myself,  but  I  am  going  all  the 
same,"  replied  Bob,  who  was  thoroughly  aroused  by 
the  attempt  that  had  been  made  on  his  life.  "  If 
we  are  not  willing  to  face  death  at  any  moment,  we 
had  no  business  to  enlist.  Must  I  go  alone?" 

"Not  much,"  was  the  unanimous  response.  "If 
you  are  bound  to  go,  we  are  going  too." 

"Leave  your  sabres  and  carbines  here,"  com 
manded  Bob.  "They  will  only  be  in  the  way. 
Draw  revolvers,  but  don't  shoot  except  in  self- 
defence." 

Bob  knew  as  well  as  his  men  did  that  he  was 
about  to  enter  upon  a  very  perilous  undertaking. 
Bristow  had  shown  that  he  was  desperate  enough 
to  shoot,  and  he  had  even  threatened  that  if  he  got 


88  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

another  chance  at  Bob  he  would  make  a  better  shot 
than  he  did  before.  Some  of  the  men  who  were  with 
him  were  known  to  be  hard  characters,  and  it  was 
very  probable  that  they  would  back  him  up  in  the 
resistance  he  seemed  determined  to  make.  But  Bob, 
having  made  up  his  mind  as  to  the  course  he  ought 
pursue,  never  once  faltered.  He  was  a  soldier,  and 
a  soldier's  first  duty  was  to  obey  orders.  He  had 
been  commanded  to  find  the  deserters  and  arrest 
them  at  all  hazards ;  and,  having  obeyed  the  first 
part  of  his  instructions,  he  was  resolved  to  carry 
them  out  to  the  letter  or  perish  in  the  attempt. 

"  Now  I  think  we  are  all  ready,"  said  Bob,  aftei 
the  sabres  and  carbines  had  been  laid  in  the  empty 
bunks  and  the  revolvers  drawn  and  examined. 
"  Stick  close  to  me,  and  remember  that  if  we  don't 
take  them  they  will  kill  us.  Bristow,  Sandy  and 
Talbot  are  the  only  men  we  have  to  fear,  and  if  we 
can  only  get  the  drop  on  them  we  are  all  right. 
Come  on." 

Although  Bob  was  the  youngest  soldier,  he  was 
the  calmest  one  of  the  seven  troopers  who  descend 
ed  those  steps.  When  he  reached  the  bottom  he 
looked  along  the  passage-way  toward  the  dug-out, 
which  was  dimly  lighted  by  the  sunbeams  which 


A    PERILOUS    UNDERTAKING.  89 

streamed  in  through  the  loopholes  on  the  western 
side,  and  saw  the  deserters  standing  in  line  awaiting 
his  approach. 

"  Halt !"  cried  a  voice.  "  Come  a  step  nearer 
and  you  are  all  dead  men." 

It  was  Bristow  who  spoke,  and  the  words  were 
followed  by  the  ominous  click  of  the  lock  of  his 
carbine. 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE     NEW     SCOUT. 

"  TTALT  !"  cried  Bristow  again.  It  was  so  dark 
in  the  passage-way  that  he  could  not  see 
the  troopers,  but  the  sound  of  their  footsteps  told 
him  that  they  were  still  advancing  toward  the  dug 
out.  "  That's  twice/'  he  continued.  "  If  I  have 
to  halt  you  the  third  time,  I'll  send  a  bullet  out 
there." 

"  Bristow,  you  had  better  not  try  that,"  answered 
Bob,  without  the  least  tremor  in  his  voice.  "  You 
have  already  done  more  than  you  will  want  to 
stand  punishment  for.  Besides,  I  have  got  you 
covered,  and  if  you  move  that  carbine  a  hair's 
breadth  you  are  a  gone  deserter." 

"  And  I've  got  the  drop  on  you,  Sandy,"  said 
Carey,  thrusting  his  cocked  revolver  over  Bob's 
shoulder,  "so  don't  wink. — I  say,  corporal,"  he 
added  in  a  whisper,  "  I  don't  see  Talbot  any 
where." 
yo 


THE   NEW   SCOUT.  91 

"Neither  do  I,"  answered  Bob.  "Keep  youi 
eyes  open,  for  he  may  be  up  to  playing  us  some 
trick." 

Whether  it  was  the  cool  determination  exhibited 
by  Bob  and  his  men,  or  the  consciousness  that  they 
were  in  the  wrong  that  took  all  the  fight  out  of 
the  deserters,  we  cannot  tell ;  but  they  were  cowed 
by  something,  and  when  Corporal  Owens  and  his 
troopers  filed  into  the  dug-out,  and  the  former 
sternly  commanded  them  to  "  throw  up,"  every 
carbine  was  dropped  to  the  ground  and  five  pairs 
of  hands  were  raised  in  the  air. 

"Where's  the  other?"  demanded  Bob.  "There 
ought  to  be  six  of  you." 

"  Here  I  am,"  said  a  faint  voice. 

Bob  looked  in  the  direction  from  which  the  voice 
came,  and  saw  Talbot  sitting  in  a  dark  corner,  his 
carbine  lying  by  his  side  and  both  his  hands  raised 
above  his  head.  He  wore  a  handkerchief  around 
his  forehead,  and,  dim  as  the  light  was,  Bob  could 
see  that  it  was  streaked  with  blood. 

"Are  you  badly  hurt?"  he  asked  with  some 
anxiety. 

"No,  he  isn't,"  exclaimed  Bristow,  before  the 
wounded  man  could  speak.  "  A  glancing  ball  cut 


92  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

a  little  crease  in  his  scalp,  and  he  thinks  he  is 
killed." 

"  I  wish  you  had  this  little  crease  in  your  own 
scalp/'  said  Talbot,  looking  savagely  at  Bristow. 
"  If  it  hadn't  been  for  you  I  never  should  have 
been  here.'7 

"  And  if  it  hadn't  been  for  you,  and  a  few  cow 
ards  just  like  you,  we  never  should  have  been  cap 
tured,"  retorted  Bristow.  "  We  could  have  held 
our  own  against  a  squad  four  times  as  big  as  the 
one  Owens  has  brought  with  him ;  but  now — " 

"  That'll  do,"  interrupted  Bob.  "  I  am  not  go 
ing  to  have  any  quarrelling  here ;  and,  Bristow, 
there's  a  court-martial  coming,  and  you  had  better 
keep  a  quiet  tongue  in  your  head. — Carey,  stand  in 
the  mouth  of  that  passage-way. — Phillips,  pick  up 
the  carbines,  and  the  rest  of  you  sound  them." 

These  orders  were  promptly  obeyed,  and  when 
the  "  sounding "  had  been  completed  the  deserters 
had  not  even  a  pocket-knife  left. 

"  Now,  boys,"  continued  Bob,  "  as  you  seem  to 
like  these  quarters  so  well,  you  can  stay  here  to 
night — all  except  you,  Talbot ;  you  will  come  up 
and  have  your  wound  examined.  We  didn't  come 
prepared  to  take  care  of  injured  men,  but  we  will 


THE   NEW   SCOUT.  93 

do  the  best  we  can  for  you. — We  will  get  some 
supper  for  you  men,  and  when  you  feel  so  inclined 
you  can  spread  your  blankets  on  the  floor  and  go 
to  sleep. — Go  on,  Carey." 

At  a  sign  from  Bob  the  troopers  followed  Carey, 
who  led  the  way  along  the  passage ;  then  Talbot 
fell  in,  carrying  his  blanket  over  his  shoulder,  and 
Bob  brought  up  the  rear.  The  trap-door  was  shut, 
and  Talbot  was  informed  that  the  sleeping-room 
was  to  be  his  prison  for  the  night.  His  wound  was 
dressed  with  some  cold  coffee  that  Bob  happened 
to  have  in  his  canteen,  and  the  deserter  was  as 
sured  that  there  was  no  cause  for  apprehension.  The 
wound,  which  was  scarcely  an  inch  long,  was  only 
skin-deep,  but  it  bled  profusely,  and  that  was 
probably  the  reason  why  Talbot  was  so  badly 
frightened.  When  two  sentries  had  been  posted — 
one  at  the  door  of  the  stable  to  keep  an  eye  on 
Talbot,  and  the  other  at  the  dug-out  to  see  that 
the  deserters  who  were  confined  there  did  not  at 
tempt  to  work  their  way  out  during  the  night — 
Brb  ordered  supper  to  be  served  at  once.  He  had 
performed  a  brave  act,  and  now  that  the  danger 
was  over  he  began  to  realize  that  lie  had  passed 
through  something  of  an  ordeal.  Pie  lifted  his 


94  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

cap,  and  found  that  his  forehead  was  covered  with 
great  drops  of  perspiration. 

"You  have  done  well,"  said  Carey,  extending 
his  hand  to  Bob  when  the  latter  came  out  of  the 
sleeping-room.  "I  didn't  know  you  had  so  much 
pluck.  I  shall  take  particular  pains  to  see  that 
the  lieutenant  hears  of  this  day's  work." 

"  He  will  tell  you  that  I  did  nothing  but  my 
duty,"  replied  Bob,  who  was  very  glad  to  know 
that  his  men  were  satisfied  with  his  conduct. 

"  But  it  isn't  everybody  who  is  brave  enough 
to  do  his  duty,"  said  Carey  as  he  touched  a  match 
to  the  light- wood  he  had  piled  in  the  fireplace  ; 
"and  perhaps  the  lieutenant  will  say  that  you 
ought  to  be  a  sergeant.  That  was  Bryant  back 
there  in  that  squatter's  cabin,  wasn't  it?  I  looked 
for  him  the  minute  we  entered  the  dug-out." 

"So  did  I,"  answered  Bob,  "and  I  saw  at  a 
glance  that  he  wasn't  there.  We  will  attend  to 
him  to-morrow." 

"But  perhaps  he  won't  be  there." 

"I  think  he  will.  It  is  my  opinion  that  he 
has  hired  out  to  that  squatter,  and  that  he  intends 
to  trust  to  disguise  to  escape  recognition.  A  man 
in  citizen's  clothes  doesn't  look  much  like  the  same 


THE   NEW   SCOUT.  95 

man  in  uniform;  did  you  ever  notice  that?  But 
even  if  he  isn't  there,  what  odds  does  it  make  to 
us?  We  are  having  a  good  time,  and  I  would 
just  as  soon  stay  out  here  on  the  plains  for  a 
week  or  ten  days  as  to  go  back  to  the  fort  and 
drill." 

"I  say,  corporal,"  exclaimed  the  sentry  who  was 
stationed  at  the  door,  "  here's  somebody  coming, 
and  unless  my  eyes  are  going  back  on  me  he  is 
dressed  in  uniform." 

"Who  in  the  world  can  it  be?"  exclaimed 
Carey. 

"We'll  soon  find  out,"  replied  Bob,  "for  if  he 
has  got  any  of  our  uncle's  clothes  on  we  are  bound 
to  take  him  in,  unless  he  proves  to  be  an  officer." 

Bob  and  his  men  hurried  to  the  door,  and, 
looking  in  the  direction  in  which  the  sentry  was 
gazing,  saw  a  horseman  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  away.  He  had  halted  on  the  top  of  a  ridge, 
and  Loring,  who  had  good  "  Plains  eyes,"  declared 
that  he  was  looking  at  them  through  a  field-glass. 
He  certainly  was  dressed  in  uniform,  and  had  with 
him  a  small  black  mule  which  bore  a  good-sized 
pack  on  its  back. 

"I  can't  make  him  out,"  said  Bob,  waving  his 


96  GEORGE   AT   THE   FOKT. 

hand  in  the  air  and  beckoning  the  horseman  to 
•approach.  "  He  is  a  soldier,  but  what  is  he  doing 
with  that  pack-mule  ?  It  isn't  Bryant,  is  it  ?  If 
it  is,  where  did  he  get  that  mule  and  that  field- 
glass? — Loring,  you  and  Phillips  put  the  bridles 
on  your  horses — never  mind  the  saddles — and  stand 
by  to  give  him  a  race  if  he  tries  to  run  away.  Don't 
mount  until  I  give  the  word." 

But  the  horseman  had  no  intention  of  running 
away.  He  replied  to  Bob's  signal  by  waving  his 
hand  over  his  head,  and  after  putting  away  his 
field-glass  rode  down  the  ridge  and  came  toward 
the  station  at  a  gallop.  As  he  approached  nearer 
the  troopers  saw  that  he  was  a  stranger,  and  a 
very  good-looking  one,  too.  He  was  almost  as 
dark  as  an  Indian,  his  hair  was  long  enough  to 
reach  to  his  shoulders,  and  the  eyes  that  looked 
out  from  under  the  peak  of  his  fatigue-cap  were 
as  black  as  midnight  and  as  sharp  as  those  of  an 
eagle.  He  rode  a  magnificent  horse,  and  his  seat 
was  easy  and  graceful.  His  only  weapon — that  is, 
the  only  one  that  could  be  seen — was  a  heavy  Win 
chester  rifle,  which  was  slung  at  his  back.  If  he 
was  a  soldier,  he  was  a  very  fancy  one,  for  his 
cavalry  uniform,  although  in  strict  keeping  with 


THE   NEW   SCOUT.  97 

the  regulations,  was  made  of  the  finest  material; 
he  wore  white  gauntlet  gloves  on  his  hands;  and 
instead  of  the  ungainly,  ill-fitting  army  shoe  he 
wore  fine  boots,  the  heels  of  which  were  armed 
with  small  silver  spurs.  The  troopers  thought 
from  his  dress  and  carriage  that  he  must  be  an 
officer,  and  when  he  drew  rein  in  front  of  the 
station  they  stood  at  "  attention  "  and  saluted  him. 

"  I  don't  deserve  that  honor,  boys,"  said  the 
stranger  with  a  laugh ;  "  I  am  not  a  shoulder- 
strap." 

"  You  are  not?"  exclaimed  Bob,  who  was  not  a 
little  astonished  as  well  as  provoked  at  the  mistake 
he  had  made.  "Well,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  are 
throwing  on  a  good  many  frills  for  a  private. 
Where  do  you  belong?" 

"  At  Fort  Lamoine,"  said  the  stranger ;  and  the 
answer  was  given  in  a  tone  quite  as  curt  as  was 
that  in  which  the  question  was  asked. 

"  So  do  I,  but  I  don't  remember  to  have  seen  you 
there,  and  so  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  give  an  ac 
count  of  yourself.  Dismount." 

"I  shall  do  as  I  please  about  that,"  replied  the 
stranger,  who  had  all  the  while  been  staring  very 

hard  at  Bob. 
r 


98  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

"  Well,  you  won't  do  as  you  please  about  it,"  re 
turned  the  corporal,  while  Carey  walked  up  and 
took  the  stranger's  horse  by  the  bit,  "  You  will 
do  as  I  please.  If  you  belong  at  Fort  Lamoine 
you  will  go  there  with  me  in  the  morning,  and 
then  I  shall  be  sure  you  get  there.  I  am  acting 
under  orders." 

The  horseman  thrust  his  hand  into  the  inside 
pocket  of  his  jacket,  and  pulling  out  a  bill-book 
took  from  it  a  paper  which  he  opened  and  handed 
to  Bob  to  read. 

"  If  you  are  acting  under  orders  I  have  no  more 
to  say,"  said  he,  "  but  there  is  something  which 
I  think  will  see  me  through  until  day  after  to 
morrow.  It  is  my  furlough.  Look  here,  part 
ner,"  he  added  suddenly,  "isn't  your  name  Bob 
Owens?" 

The  latter  started  as  if  he  had  been  shot,  his  un 
der  jaw  dropped  down,  and  for  a  few  seconds  he 
stood  looking  at  the  speaker  as  if  he  could  hardly 
believe  his  ears.  Then  a  light  seemed  to  break 
in  upon  him,  and  springing  forward  he  grasped  the 
horseman  by  the  arm  and  fairly  pulled  him  out  of 
the  saddle.  After  that  lie  shook  one  of  his  hands 
with  both  his  own  and  executed  a  sort  of  war-dance 


THE    NEW   SCOUT. 

around  him,  while  the  troopers  stood  and  looked 
on  in  speechless  amazement. 

"  George  Ackerman,  I  am  delighted  to  see  you 
again,"  cried  Bob  as  soon  as  he  could  speak.  "  I 
take  it  all  back,  George :  I  didn't  mean  to  insult 
you." 

"  It's  Owens,  isn't  it  ?"  said  George,  for  it  was  he. 

" Of  course  it  is;  and  if  you  hadn't  been  blind 
you  would  have  known  it  as  soon  as  you  saw  me," 
replied  Bob. 

"I  don't  think  my  eyesight  is  any  worse  than 
your  own,  for  you  didn't  know  me  until  I  called 
you  by  name/'  retorted  George.  "Your  uniform 
tells  me  where  you  have  been  and  what  you  have 
been  doing  since  I  last  saw  you,  but  it  doesn't  tell 
me  how  I  came  to  lose  you  in  Galveston  so  sudden 
ly  and  mysteriously.  If  we  had  kept  together  a 
little  while  longer  we  should  have  been  all  right, 
for  I  had  scarcely  missed  you  befoje  I  ran  against 
Mr.  Gilbert — the  friend  to  whom  I  wrote  for 
money,  you  know.  If  you  belong  at  Fort  La- 
moine,  what  are  you  doing  here?" 

"Stake  out  your  horse  and  mule  and  I  will  tell 
you  all  about  it,"  answered  Bob.  "But  first  tell 
me  what  right  you  have  to  wear  those  clothes." 


100  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

"I  am  a  United  States  scout,"  replied  George. 
"At  least,  that  was  the  title  under  which  I  was 
sworn  in,  but  it  does  not  clearly  explain  the  duties 
that  are  expected  of  me.  I  am  to  act  as  guide  to 
the  troops  when  they  cross  the  river  in  pursuit  of 
the  raiders." 

"  Oh  yes,"  exclaimed  Bob ;  "  I  remember  all 
about  it  now.  I  was  off  after  the  hostiles  when 
you  came  to  the  post  and  offered  your  services  to 
the  colonel.  When  I  came  back  I  found  that  the 
men  had  a  good  deal  to  say  about  our  new  scout, 
who,  they  said,  looked  about  as  much  like  a  scout 
as  they  looked  like  the  queen  of  England ;  but  I 
had  no  idea  who  he  was ;  and,  seeing  it's  you,  I'll 
not  arrest  you,"  he  added  with  a  laugh. — "Great 
Csesar !  that  was  the  second  close  call  I  have  had 
to-day." 

"  If  I  had  had  any  idea  that  you  were  going  to 
touch  him  I  should  have  warned  you,"  said  George. 
"  It  won't  do  for  a  stranger  to  come  within  reach  of 
him,  and  it's  the  greatest  wonder  in  the  world  that 
he  didn't  knock  your  brains  out." 

While  the  two  friends  were  talking,  George  Ack- 
erman,  with  the  dexterity  acquired  by  long  expe 
rience,  relieved  the  mule  of  his  heavy  pack  and  slip- 


THE   NEW   SCOUT.  101 

ped  the  halter  over  his  head,  leaving  the  animal  at 
liberty.  Bob,  judging  the  mule  by  those  unruly 
members  of  his  species  that  were  employed  in  the 
quartermaster's  department  at  the  fort,  stepped  up 
and  attempted  to  lay  hold  of  his  foretop ;  but  the  an 
imal  dodged  him  very  cleverly,  and,  wheeling  like 
lightning,  sent  both  his  heels  at  the  boy's  head. 
The  latter  dropped  just  in  time  to  escape  the  blow, 
but  he  felt  the  "  wind  "  of  the  heels  in  his  face  and 
heard  them  whistle  close  by  his  ear. 

"  Does  he  always  act  that  way  when  strangers 
approach  him  ?"  asked  Bob  as  he  picked  up  his  cap. 
"  If  he  does,  you  need  not  be  afraid  that  anybody 
will  steal  him.  I  tried  to  catch  him  because  I  was 
afraid  he  would  run  off." 

"  Oh,  he'll  not  do  that.  I  never  think  of  stak 
ing  him  out,  for  he  always  stays  by  my  horse,  and 
I  <?an  catch  him  anywhere.  There's  a  horse  for 
you,  Bob,  and  the  best  one  I  ever  owned.  He  is 
a  present  from  Mr.  Gilbert,  who  bought  him  in 
Kentucky  for  his  own  private  use,  but  when  he 
found  that  I  was  going  into  the  army  he  gave 
him  to  me,  with  the  assurance  that  Fletcher  and 
his  band  could  never  make  a  prisoner  of  me  while 
I  was  on  his  back.  I  lost  my  old  horse,  Ranger, 


102  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

at  the  time  I  was  captured  by  the  Greasers,  and  he 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Queretaro.  Now,  what 
are  you  doing  so  far  away  from  the  fort  ?"  asked 
George  as  he  picked  up  his  picket-pin  and  led 
the  horse  around  the  station  to  find  a  good  place 
to  stake  him  out.  "  How  did  you  come  to  go  into 
the  army,  anyway,  and  what  have  you  been  doing 
to  win  those  stripes?" 

"  It  would  take  a  long  time  to  answer  your  last 
two  questions/7  answered  Bob,  "and  so  we  will 
leave  them  until  the  rest  of  the  boys  have  gone 
to  bed.  I  came  here  in  pursuit  of  seven  men  who 
deserted  last  night." 

"  You  did  ?  Well,  Bob,  your  superiors  must 
have  a  good  deal  of  confidence  in  you  to  send  you 
off  on  such  an  expedition.  Where  do  you  expect 
to  find  them?" 

"  I  have  found  them  already,  and  arrested  them 
too;  that  is,  I  have  caught  six  of  them,  and  I 
know  where  the  other  one  is.  I  intend  to  take 
him  in  hand  to-morrow,  though,  to  tell  the  truth, 
I  don't  know  just  how  I  am  going  to  do  it.  I 
could  have  arrested  him  to-day  if  I  had  had 
authority  to  take  him  out  of  a  house ;  but  I 
wasn't  sure  on  that  point,  and  so  I  let  him  go 


THE  NEW  SCOUT.  103 

until  I  could  have  time  to  make  up  my  mind  to 
something.  I  got  that  about  fifteen  minutes  before 
you  came  up/7  said  Bob,  directing  his  friend's  atten 
tion  to  the  hole  in  his  coat  that  had  been  made  by 
Bristow's  bullet.  "  My  men  returned  the  fire  and 
slightly  wounded  one  of  the  deserters,  who  is  now 
laid  out  on  his  blanket  in  the  sleeping-room.  By 
the  way,  do  you  know  Gus  Robbins?" 

"  I  should  say  I  did,"  replied  George,  after  he 
had  followed  the  course  of  the  bullet  through  Bob's 
clothing  and  expressed  his  surprise  at  his  friend's 
narrow  escape.  "  Pie  ran  away  from  his  home  in 
Foxboro',  and  came  down  here  to  visit  my  cousin, 
who  was  at  that  time  living  with  his  father  at  my 
ranche.  He  and  Ned,  who  were  constantly  plum 
ing  themselves  on  the  numerous  scrapes  from  which 
they  had  narrowly  escaped,  could  not  rest  easy  until 
they  kicked  up  a  row  in  the  settlement,  and  they 
did  it  by  shooting  Mr.  Cook's  cattle.  The  conse 
quence  was,  that  I  had  to  show  them  the  way  out 
of  the  country.  Don't  you  remember  I  told  you 
all  about  it  on  the  morning  we  walked  from  that 
trapper's  cabin  to  White  River  Landing?  I  say, 
Bob,  have  you  any  idea  of  becoming  a  trapper  when 
your  term  of  service  expires  ?" 


104  GEOBGE   AT   THE   FOKT. 

"Nary  idea,"  was  the  emphatic  reply.  "A 
soldier's  life  is  hard  enough  for  me,  and  there  is 
quite  as  much  danger  in  it  as  I  care  to  face." 

"What  do  you  know  about  Gus  Bobbins?" 
continued  George.  "  He  left  my  cousin  Ned  very 
suddenly  in  Brownsville,  and  none  of  us  ever  heard 
of  him  afterward.  It  can't  be  possible  that  he  en 
listed  too  ?" 

"  Yes,  he  did.  He  belongs  to  my  troop,  and  is 
just  as  fond  of  getting  into  scrapes  as  he  ever  was. 
When  he  is  not  in  the  guard-house  he  is  almost  sure 
to  be  doing  extra  duty  for  some  offence  against  mil 
itary  discipline.  He  was  one  of  the  deserters  I  was 
ordered  to  capture,  and  he  is  in  the  dug-out  now. 
But  I  almost  wish  he  had  got  away.  You  know 
him,  and  when  I  was  arresting  him  I  almost  felt 
as  if  I  were  doing  something  against  you.  I 
haven't  forgotten  that  you  offered  me  a  home, 
and—" 

"  The  obligation  is  all  on  my  side,"  interrupted 
George.  "You  saved  my  life  twice.  Let's  sit 
down  here  and  talk  a  while.  Go  ahead  and  tell 
me  something." 

The  boys  threw  themselves  on  the  grass  near 
the  place  where  George  had  staked  out  his  horse, 


THE   NEW  SCOUT.  105 

and  Bob  began  and  described  some  of  the  inter 
esting  incidents  that  had  happened  since  he  last 
saw  the  cub  pilot.  He  told  the  truth  in  regard 
to  everything,  not  even  excepting  the  parting  in 
Galveston.  His  experience  in  the  army  was  rap 
idly  working  a  change  in  him,  and  he  had  not 
told  a  wilful  lie  since  he  assured  the  recruiting- 
officer  that  he  was  an  orphan  and  that  there  was 
no  one  in  the  world  who  had  a  right  to  say  whether 
he  should  enlist  or  not. 

"  I  have  done  a  good  many  mean  things  in  my 
life,  I  am  sorry  to  say,"  Bob  added  in  winding  up 
his  story,  "  but  about  the  meanest  trick  I  ever  play 
ed  upon  anybody  I  played  upon  you  on  the  day 
we  parted.  I  found  fifty  cents  in  my  watch-pocket, 
which  I  had  carelessly  shoved  in  there  when  mon 
ey  was  plenty,  and  I  knew  it  would  buy  me  sup 
per  and  lodging.  It  wasn't  enough  for  both  of  us, 
so  I  ran  away  from  you  and  went  off  by  myself. 
That's  the  way  we  became  separated,  and  I  tell 
you  of  it  at  the  risk  of  losing  your  friend 
ship." 

"  You  risk  nothing  at  all,"  replied  George, 
extending  his  hand.  "  I  couldn't  expect  that  you 
would  take  care  of  me  and  pay  my  way  at  the 


106  GEORGE   AT   THE   PORT. 

sacrifice  of  all  your  own  personal  comfort;  but 
I  do  wish  you  had  waited  just  a  little  longer, 
for  then  you  never  would  have  had  to  enlist. 
I  am  ready  to  prove  that  I  think  as  much  of  you 
now  as  I  ever  did.  I  shall  keep  an  eye  on  you 
until  your  term  of  service  expires,  and  then  you 
must  go  home  with  me.  I  am  sole  master  there 
now — Mr.  Gilbert  is  my  guardian,  but  he  never 
has  a  word  to  say — and  as  you  have  no  home  of 
your  own — " 

"  That  was  a  lie,  George/'  interrupted  Bob.  "  I 
have  a  home  at  Eochdale,  a  few  miles  below  Lin- 
wood,  where  I  first  pulled  you  out  of  the  river — 
you  know  where  it  is — and  as  kind  a  father  and 
mother  as  any  scoundrel  of  my  size  ever  had. 
When  I  ran  away  I  intended  to  drop  my  identity 
altogether,  and  that  was  the  reason  I  told  you 
I  was  alone  in  the  world.  What  do  you  think  of 
me  now?" 

George  was  greatly  astonished  at  this  confession, 
for  he  had  put  implicit  faith  in  Bob's  story.  He 
was  strictly  truthful  himself,  and  he  could  not 
understand  how  a  boy  as  physically  brave  as  Bob 
Owens  had  showed  himself  to  be  could  be  cow 
ard  enough  to  tell  a  lie. 


THE   NEW   SCOUT.  107 

"  I  feel  sorry  for  you/'  said  he  at  length  ;  "  and 
if  I  were  in  your  place  I  would  go  home  as  soon 
as  I  received  my  discharge — if  you  keep  on  as 
you  have  begun  you  may  rest  assured  that  it  will 
be  an  honorable  one — and  try  to  make  amends 
for  my  misdeeds.  Remember  that 

']S"o  star  is  ever  lost  we  once  have  seen; 
We  always  may  be  what  we  might  have  been/ 

and  go  resolutely  to  work  to  ' live  it  down.7  YouVe 
got  the  pluck  to  do  it,  I  know.'7 

"  Coffee !"  shouted  Carey,  thrusting  his  head 
around  the  corner  of  the  station. 

"  By  the  way/7  continued  George  as  he  and 
Bob  arose  to  their  feet,  "what  did  you  mean  by 
saying  that,  seeing  it  was  I,  you  wouldn't  arrest 


"  Oh,  the  colonel  was  mad  when  he  started  me 
out  this  morning,  and  ordered  me  to  gobble  up 
everybody — that  is,  privates  and  non-commission 
ed  officers — I  caught  outside  the  stockade.  But 
of  course  I  couldn't  touch  you  if  I  wanted  to, 
foi  your  leave  of  absence  protects  you.  You  will 
stay  here  to-night  and  ride  to  the  fort  with  us 
to-morrow,  will  you  not?" 


108  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

"Certainly  I  will.  Having  found  you  again, 
I  am  not  going  to  leave  you  in  a  hurry.  Say, 
Bob,  would  you  have  any  objections  to  bringing 
Gus  Robbins  up  to  eat  supper  with  us?" 

"  None  whatever.  I  am  sorry  to  be  obliged  to 
keep  him  and  the  rest  so  closely  confined,  but  I 
know  that  they  are  a  slippery  lot — every  one  of 
them  has  deserted  before — and  if  I  should  let 
them  get  away  now  that  I  have  got  a  grip  on 
them,  the  colonel  would  give  me  Hail  Columbia. 
Gus  has  got  himself  into  a  mess,  George.  The 
first  time  he  deserted  he  was  simply  put  into  the 
guard-house  and  fined,  but  this  escapade  is  going 
to  land  him  at  Leavenworth.  Now  I  will  make 
you  acquainted  with  our  boys,  and  then  I  will 
go  down  and  tell  Gus  that  you  want  to  see 
him." 

After  the  new  scout  had  been  introduced  to 
the  troopers,  Bob  raised  the  trap-door  and  descend 
ed  into  the  dug-out,  while  George  opened  his 
pack-saddle  and  took  out  of  it  a  tin  cup  and 
plate,  a  can  of  condensed  milk,  a  box  or  two  of 
sardines  and  a  few  other  delicacies,  which  he  laid 
upon  the  table  beside  the  simple  fare  that  Carey 
had  just  served  up.  By  the  time  he  had  finished 


THE   NEW   SCOUT.  109 

the  work  of  opening  the  cans  with  the  aid  of  a 
formidable-looking  hunting-knife  which  he  drew 
from  his  boot-leg,  Bob  returned,  followed  by  a 
soldier  who  looked  so  unlike  the  dashing,  fash 
ionably-dressed  Gus  Bobbins  he  had  seen  in  com 
pany  with  his  cousin  Ned  that  George  could  hard 
ly  bring  himself  to  believe  that  he  was  the  same 
boy.  He  looked  pale  and  haggard ;  and  that  was 
not  to  be  wondered  at,  for  the  prison  at  Fort  Leav- 
enworth  was  constantly  looming  up  before  him. 

George,  as  we  know,  had  a  very  slight  ac 
quaintance  with  Gus  Robbins,  having  passed  only 
a  few  hours  hi  his  company,  and  he  was  under 
no  obligations  whatever  to  interest  himself  in  his 
behalf;  but  when  he  saw  how  utterly  miserable 
he  was,  his  heart  bled  for  him,  and  he  at  once 
hit  upon  a  plan  for  getting  him  out  of  the  trouble 
he  had  brought  upon  himself.  He  greeted  Gus 
very  cordially,  gave  him  a  seat  beside  himself 
at  the  table,  and  tried  to  put  a  little  life  into  him 
by  talking  about  almost  everything  except  life  in 
the  army. 

The  deserters  must  have  thought  that  their  cap 
tors  felt  very  much  elated  over  their  success,  for 
a  noisier  party  than  that  which  was  gathered  about 


110  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

that  rough  board  table  was  never  seen  anywhere. 
Being  almost  entirely  free  from  military  restraint 
— sergeants  and  corporals  do  not  hold  their  men 
with  so  tight  a  rein  as  the  commissioned  officers 
do,  although  they  exact  just  as  prompt  obedience 
to  their  commands — they  told  stories  and  said 
witty  things  and  sung  songs  until  they  were 
hoarse.  The  additions  to  their  larder  which 
George  had  been  able  to  supply  gave  them  a 
better  supper  than  they  were  accustomed  to,  and 
they  were  merry  over  it. 

None  of  the  members  of  Bob's  squad  had  ever 
seen  the  new  scout  before,  and,  although  they  treat 
ed  him  with  the  greatest  respect,  they  were  sadly 
disappointed  in  him.  The  scouts  with  whom  they 
were  familiar  were  great,  rough,  bearded  men, 
strong  of  limb  and  slovenly  in  dress,  who  had 
lived  among  the  Indians  all  their  lives,  and  had 
the  reputation  of  being  able  to  whip  their  weight 
in  wild-cats;  but  this  one  looked  as  though  he 
had  but  just  come  out  of  a  fashionable  tailor's 
shop,  and,  moreover,  he  was  nothing  but  a  boy 
in  years.  What  could  the  colonel  have  been 
thinking  of  when  he  engaged  this  stripling  to 
lead  men  across  the  river  and  into  the  midst  of 


THE   NEW   SCOUT.  Ill 

the  desperadoes  who  were  known  to  have  their 
strongholds  there  ?  It  was  dangerous  work,  and 
the  guide  ought  to  be  a  person  of  courage  and 
experience;  and  George  didn't  look  as  though  he 
had  either.  That  was  what  the  troopers  thought 
as  they  sat  at  the  table  casting  furtive  glances  at 
the  new  scout,  who  was  talking  earnestly  with 
Gus  Bobbins ;  but  it  was  not  long  before  they 
found  out  that  it  took  a  brave  man  to  follow 
where  he  dared  lead. 

The  first  trooper  who  finished  his  supper  took 
the  place  of  the  sentry  at  the  door,  and  the  next 
relieved  the  one  who  was  standing  guard  over 
the  dug-out.  When  these  two  had  satisfied  their 
appetites  the  dishes  were  washed,  the  table  was 
laid  again  and  the  deserters  were  ordered  up. 
Some  of  them  appeared  to  be  very  much  disheart 
ened,  and  would  scarcely  look  their  comrades  in 
the  face,  while  the  others  were  so  defiant,  and 
had  so  much  to  say  about  the  colonel  who  had 
ordered  their  arrest  and  the  men  who  had  carried 
those  orders  into  execution,  that  Bob  was  obliged 
to  warn  them  that  if  they  did  not  eat  more  and 
jaw  less  he  would  put  them  back  into  the  dug 
out  without  any  supper. 


112  GEOKGE    AT   THE   FOUT. 

When  the  deserters  had  had  all  they  wanted 
to  eat  they  were  sent  down  to  their  prison,  the 
outside  sentry  was  relieved,  and  Bob  stood  guard 
at  the  door,  with  George  for  company.  They 
had  much  to  talk  about,  and  it  was  long  after 
midnight  when  they  went  to  bed.  They  slept 
on  the  same  blankets,  and  the  new  scout  went 
off  into  the  land  of  dreams  with  his  arm  thrown 
lovingly  around  the  boy  who  had  twice  saved 
his  life,  and  whom  he  had  never  expected  to  see 
again. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

AN   UNEXPECTED   GUEST. 

ELL,  old  fellow,  what   do   you   think  of 


It  was  George  Ackerman  who  uttered  these 
words,  and  the  question  was  addressed  to  his 
herdsman,  Zeke.  The  former  stood  in  front  of 
a  full-length  mirror  that  hung  against  the  Avail 
(among  other  extravagant  and  useless  things  for 
which  Uncle  John  had  spent  his  nephew's  money 
were  two  elegant  pier-glasses,  one  for  his  own 
room  and  the  other  for  Ned's),  and  Zeke  was 
sitting  on  the  edge  of  a  chair,  with  his  elbows 
resting  on  his  knees  and  his  chin  supported  by 
his  hands. 

When  the  commander  of  Fort  Lamoine  accept 
ed  his  proffered  services,  George  had  asked  for  and 
received  a  furlough  for  thirty  days  to  enable  him 
to  procure  an  outfit  and  to  consult  with  his  guar 
dian  in  regard  to  the  management  of  the  ranche 

8  113 


114  GEORGE    AT   THE    FOKT. 

during  his  absence.  That  furlough  had  nearly 
expired,  and  George  was  about  to  start  for  the 
fort.  The  honest  fellows  who  had  so  long  been 
employed  on  the  ranche  that  they  began  to  look 
upon  themselves  as  members  of  the  Ackerman 
family  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  parting 
from  him,  and  Zeke  especially  felt  very  gloomy 
over  it.  He  had  often  denounced,  in  the  strong 
est  terms,  the  circumstances  which  seemed  to  ren 
der  it  necessary  that  his  young  friend  should  cast 
his  lot  among  the  soldiers  for  a  season,  and  on 
this  particular  morning  he  looked  as  though  he 
had  lost  everything  that  was  worth  living  for. 

George  had  just  put  on  his  new  uniform  for 
the  first  time,  and  no  one,  except  a  very  intimate 
acquaintance,  would  have  recognized  in  him  the 
rough-looking  cowboy  whom  we  introduced  to 
the  reader  in  the  first  volume  of  this  series  of 
books.  During  the  eighteen  months  he  had  lived 
in  the  pilot-house  he  had  fallen  in  with  some  of 
the  ways  of  those  by  whom  he  was  surrounded, 
and  grown  very  particular  in  regard  to  his  per 
sonal  appearance,  although  he  did  not  by  any 
means  go  to  extremes,  as  his  cousin  Ned  had  done. 
As  he  placed  the  jaunty  fatigue-cap  over  his  long, 


AN   UNEXPECTED   GUEST.  115 

curly  hair  he  looked  rather  complacently  at  the 
handsome  face  and  figure  that  were  reflected  from 
the  polished  surface  of  the  mirror. 

"  Come,  Zeke,  don't  be  cross/7  said  he,  walking 
up  to  his  herdsman  and  giving  him  a  slap  on  the 
back.  "Say  just  one  kind  word  to  me  before  I 
go." 

"  I  won't,"  growled  Zeke  in  reply. 

"Then  wish  me  good  luck  in  my  new  calling/' 
added  George. 

"  I  won't,"  repeated  the  herdsman  in  a  still  loud 
er  tone.  "You're  always  going  off  on  some  new 
callin'  or  another,  an'  I  don't  see  no  sort  of  sense 
in  it.  Didn't  I  stay  home  here,  quiet  an'  peaceable, 
takin'  care  of  your  critters,  while  you  was  a-phil- 
anderin'  up  and  down  the  river  on  boats  that  was 
likely  at  any  minute  to  burn  up  or  bust  their 
boilers  ?  Now  that  you  have  got  safe  home  again, 
why  in  creation  don't  you  stay  here?  Good  land 
o'  Goshen!"  shouted  Zeke,  jumping  up,  spreading 
out  his  feet  and  flourishing  both  his  huge  fists  in 
the  air,  "  of  all  the  fool  notions  that  ever  a  livin' 
boy  got  into  his  head — " 

"That'll  do,  Zeke,"  interrupted  George  with  a 
laugh.  "  I  have  heard  that  a  thousand  times,  more 


116  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

or  less,  already.  You  will  bid  me  good-bye  when 
T  get  ready  to  go,  I  suppose?" 

"  I  s'pose  I  won't  do  nothin'  of  the  kind,"  ex 
claimed  Zeke.  "  Of  all  the  fool  notions  that  ever 
a  livin'  boy — " 

"  I  understand.  Come  here  and  pack  my  clothes- 
bag  for  me ;  you  can  do  it  better  than  I  can." 

"I  won't.  Them  things  is  goin'  to  hang  you 
higher'n  the  moon  the  first  you  know,"  said  Zeke, 
scowling  savagely  at  the  elegant  Mexican  costume 
which  George  lifted  from  the  bed.  "  Don't  you 
never  go  'crost  the  river  with  them  duds  on,  'cause 
if  you  do  Fletcher*!!  string  you  up  for  a  spy." 

"  Not  in  peace-times,  I  guess,"  answered  George. 

"  What  odds  does  it  make  to  sich  as  him  whether 
it's  peace-times  or  not  ?  You'll  see." 

"  Well,  he  will  have  to  catch  me  before  he  hangs 
me.  Go  and  tell  the  cook  that  I  am  getting  tired 
of  waiting  for  breakfast." 

"  I  won't ;  I  won't  never  do  nothin'  for  you  no 
more,  nor  say  another  word  to  you,  nuther." 

"I  am  sorry  you  feel  so  bad  about  it,"  said 
George  as  he  proceeded  to  pack  his  clothes  away 
in  a  canvas  bag  he  had  provided  for  that  purpose  ; 
".but  the  thing  is  done,  and  it  can't  be  undone." 


AN    UNEXPECTED    GUEST.  117 

"I  don't  care  if  the  Greasers  come  over  here 
next  full  moon  an'  steal  every  huf  an7  horn  you've 
got/'  exclaimed  the  angry  herdsman. 

"  I  do/'  replied  George ;  "  I  don't  want  them  to 
do  anything  of  the  kind.  I  don't  want  them  to 
steal  another  steer  from  me  or  anybody  else,  and 
that  is  the  very  reason  I  became  a  scout.  Our 
troops  are  going  to  teach  those  fellows  to  stay  on 
their  own  side  of  the  river,  and  I  am  going  to  help 
them  do  it." 

"  There's  enough  without  you, '  growled  Zeke. 

"  Suppose  that  everybody  thought  so ;  where 
would  we  get  the  men  to  fight  our  battles  ? — What 
in  the  world  is  that?" 

For  just  then  there  was  a  terrific  uproar  on  the 
porch.  Above  the  stamping  of  heavy  boots  and 
hoarse  but  subdued  ejaculations  of  rage,  such  as 
men  sometimes  utter  when  they  are  engaged  in  a 
fierce  struggle,  arose  the  voice  of  one  who  spoke 
in  pleading  accents,  but  whose  words  suddenly 
ceased  with  a  kind  of  gasping  sound,  as  if  his 
throat  had  been  seized  by  a  strong  hand.  Zeke  sat 
up  on  his  chair  and  looked  at  George,  whose  face 
expressed  the  utmost  bewilderment.  Before  either 
of  them  could  speak  the  door  was  thrown  open  with 


118  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

great  violence,  and  a  dishevelled  and  half-stran 
gled  man,  dressed  in  a  dingy  blue  .jacket  and  a  pair 
of  dirty  leather  trousers,  was  pitched  into  the  room, 
with  such  force  that  when  he  brought  up  against 
Zeke  that  worthy  herdsman  was  knocked  out  of  his 
chair,  and  the  two  came  to  the  floor  together. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  such  work  as  this  ?" 
demanded  George,  looking  first  at  the  prostrate 
man  and  then  toward  the  door,  where  stood  Jake 
and  Bob  with  their  hands  clenched  and  their  faces 
flushed  with  anger. 

"  Jest  take  a  good  squint  at  that  feller's  figger- 
head  an7  answer  the  question  for  yourself,  Mr. 
George,"  answered  Jake,  shaking  his  fist  at  the  man 
who  had  been  so  unceremoniously  introduced  into 
the  room. — "  Give  it  to  him  good  an'  strong,  Zeke  ! 
-Well!  I'll— be— blessed  !— Won't  you,  Bob?" 

This  exclamation  was  called  forth  by  an  action  on 
the  part  of  George  Ackerman  that  astonished  Jake 
and  Bob  beyond  measure.  Zeke  had  instantly  rec 
ognized  the  man  who  had  so  unexpectedly  prostrated 
him,  and,  seizing  him  by  the  back  of  the  neck  in 
his  iron  grasp,  began  shaking  him  as  a  dog  would 
shake  a  rat.  George  also  recognized  the  man  after 
he  had  taken  a  second  look  at  him,  and  springing 


AN    UNEXPECTED    GUEST.  119 

forward  he  seized  Zeke's  arm  and  tore  his  grasp 
loose.  Then  he  assisted  the  man  to  his  feet,  and 
taking  his  hand  in  his  own  shook  it  cordially. 

"  Well,  I  will  be  blessed !"  repeated  Jake,  who 
stood  looking  the  very  picture  of  astonishment. 
— "  Won't  you,  Bob  ?" 

"  I  should  say  I  would/'  replied  the  latter,  who 
was  equally  amazed.  "  That's  something  I  never 
expected  to  see — an  Ackerman  shaking  hands  with 
a  cattle-thief!" 

"  Springer,"  exclaimed  George,  "  I  am  glad  to 
see  you  again ;  and  without  your  crutches,  too ! 
I  hope  you  have  entirely  recovered." 

Yes,  the  man  who  had  made  his  entrance  into 
George's  room  in  so  unusual  a  manner  was  Springer, 
whom  we  have  often  spoken  of  as  the  wounded 
cattle-thief.  He  had,  as  we  know,  once  been  in 
the  employ  of  George's  father ;  but  proving  to  be 
utterly  unfit  for  the  position  he  held,  Mr.  Acker 
man  had  discharged  him,  and  Springer  had  sought 
revenge  by  making  an  unsuccessful  effort  to  burn 
the  ranche.  Of  course  he  could  not  stay  in  Texas 
after  that,  so  he  fled  across  the  river  and  joined  his 
fortunes  with  the  Contra-Guerrillas,  a  regiment  of 
desperadoes  in  the  employ  of  the  ill-starred  Max- 


120  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

imilian.  He  belonged,  with  other  renegade  Amer 
icans,  to  Fletcher's  band,  who  were  the  principal 
foragers  for  Maximilian's  army ;  but  instead  of 
robbing  the  adherents  of  Juarez,  who  probably 
had  no  stock  worth  stealing,  they  made  numerous 
raids  across  the  river  and  ran  off  the  cattle  belong 
ing  to  the  Texans.  Springer  was  one  of  the  band 
who  stampeded  George's  herd  at  Catfish  Falls,  and 
during  the  short  skirmish  that  followed  Zeke  sent 
a  bullet  through  each  of  his  legs,  wounding  him 
severely.  He  managed  to  keep  up  with  the  band 
a  few  miles,  but  the  rapid  motion  was  too  much 
for  him,  and  he  was  finally  abandoned  by  his  com 
panions,  who  hurried  the  captured  cattle  toward  the 
river,  leaving  Springer  to  look  out  for  himself. 

The  pain  occasioned  by  the  wounds  that  had 
been  inflicted  upon  him  by  Zeke's  Winchester  was 
so  intense  that  the  raider  was  forced  to  travel  very 
slowly.  Arriving  on  the  banks  of  a  little  stream 
that  ran  across  the  trail  he  was  pursuing,  he  roll 
ed  out  of  his  saddle  to  quench  his  thirst,  which  had 
became  almost  unbearable ;  but  his  bridle  slipping 
from  his  hand,  his  horse  wandered  away,  and,  as 
Springer  was  not  able  to  walk,  he  could  not  cateh 
him  again.  He  sank  helplessly  down  beside  a  tree, 


AX   UNEXPECTED   GUEST.  121 

where  he  was  presently  discovered  by  George  Ack- 
erman,  who  was  making  his  way  on  foot  toward  Mr. 
Gilbert's  ranche.  The  boy  ministered  to  his  wants 
by  bringing  him  water  in  his  hat  and  sharing  with 
him  his  slender  stock  of  provisions,  and  Springer 
showed  his  gratitude  by  warning  George  of  a  plot 
which  his  uncle  John  and  cousin  Ned  had  laid 
against  him.  He  went  into  all  the  details,  but 
George  refused  to  believe  a  word  of  it  until  sub 
sequent  events,  which  we  have  already  described, 
proved  to  his  entire  satisfaction  that  the  thief  had 
told  him  nothing  but  the  truth. 

After  spending  half  an  hour  in  the  man's  com 
pany,  George  caught  his  horse,  assisted  him  into 
the  saddle,  and  Springer  succeeded  in  crossing  into 
Mexico  without  being  discovered  by  any  of  the 
settlers  whom  Zeke  had  gathered  together  to  re 
capture  George's  herd.  He  made  his  way  to  Don 
Miguel's  ranche,  and  there  our  hero  found  him 
when  he  was  captured  by  Fletcher's  men.  The 
raider  seemed  to  be  sorry  for  his  misdeeds,  and 
George  had  assured  him  that  if  he  ever  made  up 
his  mind  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf  and  lead  a  dif 
ferent  sort  of  life,  he  would  assist  him  by  every 
means  in  his  power. 


122  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

"Springer,"  said  George,  drawing  up  an  easy- 
chair  for  the  use  of  his  guest,  "  what  brought  you 
over  on  this  side  of  the  river?  Have  you  aban 
doned  Fletcher  for  good?" 

The  cattle-thief  gasped  and  coughed  three  or 
four  times,  as  if  he  were  trying  to  clear  his  throat 
of  something  that  stuck  there  and  choked  his  utter 
ance,  and  finally  nodded  his  head  in  reply. 

" Don't  pay  no  attention  to  him,  Mr.  George!" 
exclaimed  Bob.  "  Pie  don't  know  nothin'  but 
stealin'  an7  lyin',  that  feller  don't,  an'  I  wouldn't 
trust  him  as  far  as  I  could  sling  a  yearlin'." 

"  If  it  wasn't  for  sich  fellers  as  him  you  could 
stay  to  hum  quiet  an'  peaceable  like,  an'  not  have 
to  go  off  fur  a  soldier,"  added  Jake. 

"When  I  was  a  prisoner  among  the  Greasers 
he  gave  me  advice  that  assisted  me  in  making 
my  escape,  and  why  should  I  not  treat  him  kind 
ly?"  demanded  George,  turning  indignantly  upon 
the  speakers.  "  No  visitor  at  the  Ackerman  ranche 
was  ever  treated  so  shamefully  before,  and  I  tell 
you  I  don't  want  the  thing  repeated." 

"Why,  Mr.  George,"  stammered  Jake,  "he  rid 
up  to  the  porch  an'  said  he  wanted  to  speak  to 
you,  an'  so  we  brung  him  in — me  an'  Bob  did." 


AN    UNEXPECTED   GUEST.  123 

"Go  and  tell  the  cook  to  put  another  plate  on 
the  table  and  to  hurry  up  breakfast/'  said  George 
with  an  air  of  disgust. 

"  Mr.  George/'  said  Zeke  solemnly,  "  do  you 
mean  by  that  that  you're  goin'  to  break  bread 
with  this — this  varmint?" 

"I  mean  that  Springer  is  going  to  eat  a  good 
breakfast  with  me,  if  that  is  what  you  want  to 
know/7  replied  George. 

"Then,  Bob,  you  needn't  say  nothin7  about 
that  there  other  plate/'  continued  the  herdsman, 
picking  up  his  hat  and  moving  toward  the  door. 
"  Springer  can  have  the  one  I  was  goin'  to  use." 

"  Zeke,  sit  down  and  behave  yourself/'  exclaim 
ed  George. 

"No,  I  won't.  I  ain't  agoin'  to  eat  salt  with 
a  man  what  tried  to  burn  this  ranche  over  your 
dead  father's  head,  an'  you  a  little  babby  at  the 
time,  without  no  power  to  help  yourself.  I  don't 
know  what  this  family  is  comin'  to,  anyhow." 

"  No  more  do  I,"  chimed  in  Bob,  while  he  and 
Jake  looked  daggers  at  their  employer's  new  guest. 
"  Things  ain't  as  they  used  to  be  in  the  good 
ole  days.  I  won't  wait  on  no  table  that  he  sets 
at." 


124  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

As  if  moved  by  a  common  impulse,  the  three 
men  left  the  room,  Zeke  closing  the  door  behind 
him  with  no  gentle  hand.  The  cattle-thief  seemed 
to  be  greatly  relieved  to  see  them  go,  but  their 
extraordinary  conduct  made  him  very  uneasy,  and 
he  looked  toward  George  to  see  what  the  latter 
thought  about  it. 

"  Never  mind  them,"  said  the  boy  encouraging 
ly.  "  They  were  employed  on  this  ranche  before 
I  was  born,  and  have  finally  come  to  think  that 
they  have  more  rights  here  than  I  have.  Now, 
what  did  you  want  to  see  me  for?  How  can 
I  help  you  ?  If  I  were  going  to  stay  at  home, 
so  that  I  could  stand  between  you  and  the  set 
tlers,  I  would  give  you  *a  herdsman's  berth,  if 
that  is  what  you  want;  but  I  am  going  to  Fort 
Lamoine  as  soon  as  I  have  packed  my  things  and 
disposed  of  my  breakfast,  and  I  may  not  be  back 
for  a  year.  I  am  a  United  States  scout." 

"  I  wondered  what  you  were  doin'  with  them 
soldier-clothes  on ;  an'  that  explains  it,"  said 
Springer,  speaking  with  difficulty.  "  I  don't  reck 
on  you  can  help  me  none  jest  now,  but  mebbe  I 
can  help  you  by  puttin'  you  on  your  guard  agin' 
Fletcher." 


AN    UNEXPECTED   GUEST.  125 

"  Is  he  after  me  again  ?"  cried  George.  "  I  was 
in  hope  I  had  seen  and  heard  the  last  of  him;" 

"  Them  kind  of  fellers  is  always  turnin'  up  when 
they  isn't  wanted,"  replied  Springer.  "  He's  come 
back  to  his  ole  hole  at  that  there  ranche,  bringin' 
a  good  many  of  his  ole  men  with  him,  an'  some 
new  ones  that  would  be  wusser  than  he  is,  only 
that  ain't  possible.  Amongst  them  all,  they  have 
laid  a  plan  to  visit  you  next  full  moon." 

"Let  them  come,"  said  George,  snapping  his 
fingers  in  the  air ;  "  they'll  not  get  me,  or  any 
stock  either." 

"  He  wants  you  more'n  he  wants  stock,"  con 
tinued  Springer.  "  That  is,  he  wants  you  first. 
Your  uncle  John  put  the  very  mischief  into  that 
there  feller's  head,  an'  he's  goin'  to  make  a  pris'ner 
of  you,  like  he  did  afore.  He  knows  that  you 
are  master  here  now— that  you've  got  more  money 
an'  cattle  than  you  know  what  to  do  with ;  an'  he 
thinks  you  would  rather  give  'em  all  up  than  lose 
your  liberty." 

"No  doubt  I  would,"  answered  George,  "  but 
before  he  can  make  any  demands  upon  me  he 
must  catch  me.  That  he  will  never  do,  for  the 
next  time — " 


126  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

He  was  about  to  say  that  the  next  time  he  saw 
Don  Miguel's  ranche  he  would  be  so  strongly  back 
ed  up  that  he  would  stand  in  no  fear  of  the  boss 
cattle-thief  and  his  band.  But  he  didn't  say  it, 
for  he  did  not  know  how  far  it  would  be  safe  to 
trust  his  friend  Springer.  He  need  not  have  been 
so  particular  on  this  point,  however,  for  the  cattle- 
thief  knew  as  much  about  the  contemplated  move 
ments  of  General  Ord's  forces  as  George  did  him 
self.  The  Mexican  authorities  had  been  notified 
that  if  the  raids  from  their  side  of  the  river  were 
not  stopped  our  troops  would  take  the  matter  in 
hand  and  punish  the  thieves  wherever  they  could 
be  found ;  and  those  same  authorities  had  been 
accommodating  enough  to  warn  Fletcher,  and  so 
put  him  on  his  guard. 

"  Where  have  you  been  since  I  last  saw  you  ?" 
inquired  George,  "  and  what  has  become  of  my 
horse  ?  What  did  the  '  boss '  say  when  he  found 
I  had  slipped  through  his  fingers?  I  told  you 
I  shouldn't  stay  there  and  allow  myself  to  be 
robbed.  Did  he  follow  me?" 

"  No,  he  didn't  foller  you,  'cause  nobody  knowed 
till  mornin'  come  that  you  had  skipped  out,"  an 
swered  Springer.  "When  Fletcher  went  to  call 


AN    UNEXPECTED   GUEST.  127 

you  to  breakfast,  an'  you  wasn't  there,  he  thought 
you  was  a-loafin'  around  somewheres  about  the 
ranche;  but  when  somebody  told  him  that  the 
hoss  with  the  four  white  feet,  that  follered  us 
acrost  the  river  on  the  night  we  tried  to  get  the 
strong-box  out  of  this  house,  was  gone,  he  knowed 
in  a  minute  what  was  up,  an'  he  was  about  the 
maddest  man  you  ever  see.  But  he  couldn't  take 
time  to  hunt  you  up,  an'  all  he  could  do  was  to 
swear  that  he'd  hold  fast  to  you  the  next  time  he 
got  his  hands  on  to  you." 

"  He'll  never  get  his  hands  on  me  again,"  said 
George  confidently. 

"  I  hope  he  won't,  but  if  he  does  it'll  be  worse 
for  you.  That  there  black  hoss  of  your'n  is  dead," 
continued  Springer ;  "  he  was  shot  at  Quere'taro. 
You  see,  when  we  got  down  to  the  place  where  the 
fightin'  was  goin'  on,  we  knowed  in  a  minute  that 
Max  couldn't  hold  out  much  longer,  so  we  started 
one  dark  night  to  cross  over  to  Juarez.  His  sol 
diers  seen  us  comin',  an',  thinkin'  that  we  were 
up  to  some  trick  or  another,  they  turned  loose  on 
us  an'  cut  us  up  fearful." 

"  It  served  you  just  right,"  said  George,  with 
honest  indignation ,  "  You  had  no  business  to  go 


128  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

in  with  Maximilian  in  the  first  place,  but  having 
joined  him  you  ought  to  have  stood  by  him  to 
the  last." 

"  We  did  stand  by  him  after  that,  'cause  we  had 
to,"  answered  Springer.  "But  it  didn't  take  ?em 
long  to  captur'  the  place,  an7  it  didn't  take  them 
long  either  to  say  what  should  be  done  with  Max. 
He  an'  Mejia  an'  Miramon  were  took  out  on  a  hill 
near  the  ruins  of  an  old  stone  fort  an'  shot.  I 
didn't  see  it,  'cause  I  was  under  guard  with  Fletch 
er  an'  the  rest;  but  I  heared  some  of  'em  who  did 
see  it  say  that  just  before  the  shooting  was  done 
Max  he  says  to  Miramon,  '  The  bravest  man  should 
have  the  post  of  honor;'  so  he  puts  Miramon  in 
the  middle,  an'  Max  he  stood  on  the  left.  It  was 
a  mean  piece  of  business  all  the  way  through,"  said 
Springer,  drawing  his  hand  nervously  across  his 
forehead,  "  an'  I  am  powerful  glad  that  I  am  well 
out  of  it.  Now,  Mr.  George,  seein'  as  how  you 
belong  to  the  army,  mebbe  I  had  oughter  tell  you 
something.  You  remember  them  two  Greasers 
who  shot  that  cowboy  down  to  Rio  Grande  City, 
an'  was  put  in  jail  for  it,  don't  you  ?  Well,  they 
belong  to  our  gang,  an'  Fletcher  an'  the  rest  are 
getting  ready  to  go  clown  there  an'  take  'em  out." 


AN    UNEXPECTED    VUEST.  129 

"Very  well.  Go  right  down  to  the  command 
ing  officer  at  Eagle  Pass  and  tell  him  of  it,"  said 
George  promptly.  "  Then  come  up  to  Fort  La- 
moine,  and  we'll  see  if  the  colonel  won't  do  some 
thing  for  Fletcher  when  he  comes  over  here  to  cap 
ture  me." 

"  An7  there's  another  thing  I  had  oughter  tell 
you,  Mr.  George,"  continued  Springer,  sinking  his 
voice  almos/  to  a  whisper.  "  I  come  over  here  as 
a  sort  of  spy,  like.  I  am  to  find  out  all  I  can  about 
your  ways — where  you  go  of  nights,  an'  all  that, 
you  know — an'  then  I  am  to  go  down  to  Rio  City, 
take  a  look  about  the  jail,  see  how  many  guards 
there  are,  an'  everything  else  that  is  worth  knowin', 
an'  after  that  I  am  to  go  back  an'  tell  Fletcher." 

"  I  am  glad  you  didn't  say  so  while  my  men 
were  in  here,"  observed  George. 

"  I  was  just  a  trifle  too  sharp  for  that,"  said 
Springer,  shaking  his  head  and  looking  very  wise. 
"  I  don't  want  to  make  them  any  madder  at  me 
than  they  be  now." 

"  But  you  are  not  going  back  to  Fletcher  with 
any  news,  are  you  ?  You  told  me  you  had  left  him 
for  good." 

"  Mr.  George,"  said  Springer  earnestly,  "  I  \vin't 


130  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

agoin'  to  take  no  news  acrost  the  river  that  will  do 
anybody  there  any  good.  I  ain't  forgot  that  you 
helped  me  when  I  was  a-starving  for  grub  an'  wa 
ter,  and  I  ain't  likely  to  forget  it,  nuther.  I  did 
say  I  had  quit  them  fellers  for  good,  an'  when  I 
said  it  I  meant  it;  but  you  can  see  by  the  way 
your  own  men  used  me,  right  here  under  your 
nose,  that  I  couldn't  stay  here  without  nobody  to 
back  me  up.  I  can't  starve,  so  I'll  have  to  go 
back  till  you  come  home  again." 

"  If  you  will  stay  on  this  side  of  the  river  I  will 
see  that  you  don't  starve,"  replied  George.  "  After 
you  have  told  the  commanding  officer  at  Eagle 
Pass  of  the  attempt  that  is  to  be  made  to  release 
those  murderers,  come  up  to  Fort  Lamoine  and  I 
will  find  some  honest  work  for  you  to  do.  The 
soldiers  at  the  post  are  not  acquainted  with  you, 
and  consequently  there  will  be  no  one  to  trouble 
you.  I  will  say  that  you  used  to  work  for  my 
father,  and  that  will  help  you  to  a  position." 

While  Springer  was  trying  to  make  the  boy  un 
derstand  how  grateful  he  was  to  him  for  his  kind 
ness,  there  was  a  rap  at  the  door,  and  Bob  thrust 
his  head  into  the  room  to  announce  in  a  surly  tone 
that  breakfast  was  readv. 


UNEXPECTED   GUEST.  131 

"  Where's  Zeke  ?"  asked  George. 

"  Gone,"  was  the  laconic  reply. 

"  All  right !  If  he  is  foolish  enough  to  go  off 
with  nit  any  breakfast,  let  him  go.  He'll  meet  me 
somewhere  along  the  trail  and  say  good-bye,  I 
know.  Bob,"  added  George,  pointing  to  the  clothes- 
bag,  which  he  had  packed  while  he  and  his  visitor 
were  conversing,  "  put  this  into  the  pack-saddle, 
and  have  everything  ready,  so  that  I  can  start 
as  soon  as  I  have  eaten  breakfast. — Come  on, 
Springer." 

George  led  the  way  into  an  adjoining  room,  and 
found  an  excellent  breakfast  waiting  for  him.  The 
cook,  knowing  that  this  was  the  last  meal  the  young 
master  of  the  ranche  would  eat  at  that  table  for  long 
months  to  come,  had  exhausted  all  his  knowledge 
of  the  cuisine  in  the  effort  to  serve  up  a  breakfast 
that  would  tempt  George  to  eat,  no  matter  whether 
he  was  hungry  or  not. 

True  to  his  promise,  Bob  kept  out  of  the  break 
fast-room,  and  George  and  his  guest  were  obliged 
to  wait  on  themselves;  but  as  they  were  used  to 
that,  they  got  on  very  well.  While  they  were  eat 
ing  George  once  more  repeated  the  instructions  he 
had  given  Springer,  and  reiterated  his  promise  to 


132  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

furnish  him  with  steady  employment  and  give  him 
a  chance  to  make  an  honest  living. 

Breakfast  over,  George  accompanied  his  guest  to 
the  door,  and  saw  him  ride  away  toward  Eagle  Pass. 
As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight  the  boy  went  into 
the  house  after  his  weapons  and  to  take  leave  of 
the  servants,  who  were  good-natured  enough  now 
that  Springer  was  gone.  After  shaking  them  all 
by  the  hand,  and  listening  to  their  hearty  wishes 
for  his  safe  and  speedy  return,  he  mounted  his 
horse,  which  stood  at  the  porch  saddled  and  bri 
dled,  took  his  pack-mule  by  the  halter  and  rode 
away  toward  Mr.  Gilbert's  ranche.  The  first  per 
son  to  greet  him  as  he  drew  rein  in  front  of  the 
door  was  Zeke,  who  had  so  emphatically  declared 
that  he  would  not  have  another  word  to  say  to 
him. 

"Where's  that  pizen  varmint?'7  demanded  the 
herdsman  in  no  very  amiable  tones. 

"Look  here,  Zeke,"  replied  George,  "if  you 
should  happen  to  meet  that  man  while  I  am 
gone,  I  want  you  to  treat  him  civilly;  do  you 
understand  ?  If  you  see  him  in  trouble,  I  want 
you  to  help  him  out.  He  is  sorry  for  what  he 
has  done,  and  intends  to  lead  a  better  life;  and 


AN    UNEXPECTED  GUEST.  133 

if  you  don't  assist  him  in  every  way  you  can, 
you  arc  not  the  fellow  I  take  you  for." 

"  Humph  !"  exclaimed  Zeke  contemptuously. 
*  Sorry,  ain't  he?  Wants  to  lead  a  better  life, 
don't  he?  Well,  it's  mighty  little  chance  he'll 
have  if  he  makes  a  business  of  bumpin'  up  agin 
me  the  way  he  did  this  mornin',  I  bet  you." 

"  He  couldn't  help  it ;  Jake  and  Bob  threw  him 
against  you.  I  know  he  is  in  earnest,  for  he  has 
proved  it.  He  came  to  the  ranche  to  tell  me  that 
my  old  friend  Fletcher  is  coming  over  to  capture 
me  next  full  moon,  and  he  has  now  gone  down 
to  warn  the  officer  in  command  at  Eagle  Pass  that 
an  attempt  will  soon  be  made  to  liberate  the 
murderers  who  are  in  jail  there. — Good-morning, 
Mr.  Gilbert.  I  have  stopped  to  say  good-bye." 

"Why  don't  you  slap  your  foot  down  an'  tell 
him  he  sha'n't  go,  Gilbert?"  demanded  Zeke. 

"I  am  as  sorry  to  have  him  go  as  you  are," 
replied  Mr.  Gilbert.  "  But  it  is  to  our  interest 
to  do  all  we  can  to  break  up  this  raiding  business, 
and  George  can  do  more  than  any  of  us.  In  fact, 
he  is  the  only  one  in  the  settlement  who  can  do 
anything,  for  you  know  the  colonel  wouldn't  ac 
cept  the  services  of  our  company  of  Rangers  when 


134  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

we  offered  them  to  him. — Come  in,  George,  and 
say  good-bye  to  Mrs.  Gilbert  and  the  girls." 

This  was  soon  done,  for  the  boy  did  not  like 
to  linger  over  the  parting ;  but  still,  it  was  much 
harder  for  him  to  take  leave  of  these  good  friends 
than  he  thought  it  would  be.  The  whole  family 
accompanied  him  to  the  door,  and  when  he  came 
out  Zeke  turned  his  back  to  him. 

"Say  good-bye  to  me,"  said  George,  giving 
him  a  pat  on  the  shoulder ;  "  it's  your  last 
chance." 

"  I  don't  care  if  it  is,"  shouted  the  old  fellow ; 
"  I  won't  do  it." 

"  Then  I  will  say  it  to  you  :  Good-bye,  Zeke. 
It  will  be  a  long  time  before  I  see  you  again,  if 
indeed  I  ever  do,  but  I  never  shall  forget  you. 
You  have  been  a  good  friend  to  me." 

This  was  altogether  too  much  for  the  honest 
herdsman.  He  faced  quickly  about,  and,  seizing 
George's  hand  with  a  grip  that  brought  tears  to 
his  eyes,  churned  it  up  and  down  like  a  pump- 
handle.  Then  he  dropped  it  and  turned  away, 
while  George,  without  saying  another  word,  vault 
ed  into  his  saddle  and  rode  off.  Zeke  watched  him 
as  long  as  he  remained  in  sight,  and  then  in  bro- 


AN    UNEXPECTED   GUEST.  135 

ken  accents  addressed  the  silent  group  who  stood  in 
the  doorway  : 

"  Thar's  that  there  boy " — here  he  waved  his 
hand  in  the  direction  in  which  George  had  disap 
peared — "  he  was  all  I  had,  an'  now  he's  gone  off 
to  fight  them  Greasers  without  askin'  me  would 
I  let  him  go.  I  toted  him  in  them  there  arms 
when  he  was  a  yellin'  babby  not  knee-high  to  a 
duck ;  I  put  him  on  the  fust  hoss  he  ever  rid ; 
I  slept  under  the  same  blanket  an'  herded  cattle 
with  him  when  he  got  bigger;  I  larnt  him  how 
to  throw  the  lasso  an'  shoot  the  rifle ;  an'  now 
he's  went  off  an'  left  me  alone  !  Dog-gone  them 
pizen  Greasers !"  roared  Zeke,  flourishing  both 
his  fists  in  the  air. 

He  lingered  a  moment,  looking  rather  sharply  at 
Mr.  Gilbert,  as  if  he  had  half  a  mind  to  take  him 
to  task  for  giving  his  consent  to  George's  "  fool 
notion,"  and  then,  thinking  better  of  it,  he  lum 
bered  down  the  steps,  mounted  his  horse  and  gal 
loped  off  toward  the  place  where  he  had  left  his 
herd  in  charge  of  an  assistant. 

George  camped  two  nights  on  the  prairie,  and  on 
the  third  afternoon,  an  hour  or  two  before  sunset,  he 
arrived  within  sight  of  one  of  the  stage-company's 


136  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

deserted  stables.  Or,  rather,  it  was  deserted  the 
last  time  he  saw  it,  but  now  there  was  an  armed 
soldier  in  front  of  the  door,  and  he  was  presently 
joined  by  others,  one  of  whom,  by  signs,  invited 
him  to  approach.  George  complied,  and  presently 
found  himself  surrounded  by  a  squad  of  troopers 
under  the  command  of  Corporal  Bob  Owens,  who 
greeted  him  as  we  have  described. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

HOW   BRYANT   WAS   CAPTURED. 

T)  EVEILLE  was  sounded  the  next  morning  by 
-*-^  Corporal  Owens,  who,  having  no  drum  or 
bugle  at  his  command,  sprang  up  at  daylight  and 
aroused  his  slumbering  companions  by  shouting  out 
the  order,  "  Catch  up  !"  More  from  the  force  of 
habit  than  anything  else,  he  called  the  roll  while 
he  was  bundling  up  the  blankets  on  which  he  and 
George  had  slept,  and,  making  the  sergeant's  salute 
to  an  imaginary  officer,  he  announced  :  "  All  pres 
ent  or  accounted  for."  Then  Carey  was  ordered  to 
boil  the  coffee,  and  Bob  and  the  three  troopers  who 
were  off  duty  went  out  to  groom  the  horses.  Hav 
ing  brought  no  brushes  or  currycombs  with  them, 
they  were  obliged  to  content  themselves  with  rub 
bing  the  animals  down  with  handfuls  of  grass ;  but 
they  "  went  through  the  motions,"  as  Bob  expressed 
it,  and  that  was  all  the  most  exacting  officer  could 
have  expected  of  them  under  the  circumstances. 

137 


138  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

As  soon  as  breakfast  had  been  eaten  the  troopers 
and  their  prisoners  set  out  on  the  return  march, 
Bob  and  the  new  scout  leading  the  way.  Behind 
them  came  the  deserters,  guarded  on  each  flank  and 
in  the  rear  by  two  cavalrymen.  Their  advance 
was  necessarily  slow,  for  the  captives  had  travelled 
rapidly  the  day  before  in  order  to  put  a  safe  dis 
tance  between  themselves  and  the  fort,  and  they 
were  weary  and  footsore.  Gus  Robbins,  especially, 
was  nearly  "  done  up."  He  was  in  a  worse  con 
dition  than  Talbot  was,  for  the  latter  seemed  to 
have  slept  off  the  effects  of  his  wound.  George 
felt  the  greatest  compassion  for  Gus,  and  offered 
to  lend  him  his  horse;  but  Bob,  who  had  grown 
somewhat  hardened  to  suffering  during  his  expe 
rience  in  the  army,  positively  forbade  it. 

"  It  wouldn't  do,  George/7  said  he,  looking  ad 
miringly  at  his  friend's  sleek,  well-conditioned 
animal,  which  was  constantly  champing  his  bit  and 
tossing  his  head  as  if  he  were  growing  impatient 
at  the  slow  progress  they  were  making.  "  Gus 
would  make  a  break  for  liberty  sure,  and  as  that 
nag  of  yours  is  able  to  distance  anything  in  my 
party,  I'd  have  to—  Here  Bob  tapped  his  car 
bine  significantly.  "  That's  something  I  don't 


HOW    BRYANT   WAS   CAPTTJEED.  139 

want  to  do.  Gus  isn't  so  nearly  exhausted  as  he 
seems  to  be.  He  is  more  distressed  in  mind  than 
lie  is  in  body,  for  he  is  thinking  of  the  prison  at 
Fort  Leaven  worth.  After  we  have  gone  a  few 
miles  we  will  rest  them  by  taking  them  up  behind 
us,  but  it  wouldn't  be  a  very  bright  trick  to  give 
one  of  them  a  horse  to  himself." 

About  eleven  o'clock  a  halt  was  ordered,  and 
the  deserters,  who  were  riding  behind  the  troopers, 
having  dismounted,  Corporal  Owens  took  Carey 
off  on  one  side  and  gave  him  some  very  emphatic 
instructions.  Then  he  and  George  also  dismounted, 
and,  leaving  their  horses  behind,  made  their  way 
cautiously  toward  a  ridge  a  short  distance  in  ad 
vance  of  them.  As  they  neared  the  top  they  threw 
themselves  on  their  hands  and  knees  and  crept  up 
until  they  could  look  over  it.  They  were  in  plain 
view  of  the  squatter's  cabin  at  which  the  troopers 
had  stopped  to  eat  their  dinner  the  day  before. 
Bob  took  just  one  look  at  it,  and  then  hastily 
backed  down  the  ridge  again. 

"  Did  you  see  that  fellow  chopping  wood  in  front 
ol*  the  shanty?"  said  he,  addressing  himself  to 
George.  "  That's  the  man  I  am  looking  for." 

"Are  you  sure?" 


140  GEOEGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

"  Am  I  sure  that  I  have  a  pair  of  good  eyes  ?" 
asked  Bob  in  reply.  "Of  course  I  am.  I  rec 
ognized  him  in  spite  of  his  citizen's  clothes.  That 
squatter  has  rigged  him  out  in  some  of  his  own 
duds,  but  they'll  not  save  him  if  I  can  manage  in 
some  way  to  get  between  him  and  the  cabin." 

"  Perhaps,  in  order  to  make  '  assurance  doubly 
sure/  you  had  better  take  my  field-glass  and  have 
another  look  at  him,"  said  George.  "  A  false 
move  might  prove  fatal  to  you,  for  it  would  show 
the  squatter  that  you  suspect  him  of  harboring  one 
of  your  men,  and  that  would  put  both  him  and  the 
deserter  on  their  guard.  But  if  that  is  your  man, 
I  am  sorry  for  it." 

"  Why  are  you  ?"  demanded  Bob,  looking  at  his 
companion  in  great  surprise. 

"  I  mean  that  I  am  sorry  you  found  him  here," 
George  hastened  to  explain,  "  for  the  chances  are 
that  you  will  not  take  him  without  a  fight.  Peas- 
ley — that's  the  name  of  the  owner  of  the  cabin — is 
a  notorious  rough,  and  he  would  think  no  more  of 
putting  a  bullet  into  you,  if  he  thought  he  could 
escape  the  consequences,  than  he  would  of  knocking 
over  an  antelope  for  breakfast." 

"  I  thought  he  looked  like  that  kind  of  a  chap," 


HOW    BKYANT   WAS   CAPTURED.  141 

said  Bob.  "  Well,  if  lie  wants  a  tight  he  can  be 
accommodated  at  very  short  notice.  That's  my 
man,  and  I  am  going  to  have  him,  squatter  or  no 
squatter." 

As  Bob  gave  utterance  to  this  emphatic  declara 
tion  he  took  the  field-glass,  which  George  handed 
over  to  him,  crept  up  to  the  top  of  the  ridge,  and 
after  taking  a  short  survey  of  the  cabin  and  its  sur 
roundings  came  back  to  his  friend's  side  again 

"  I  knew  I  couldn't  be  mistaken,"  said  he.  "  I 
had  a  fair  view  of  his  face,  and  as  I  have  seen  him 
every  day  for  the  last  year,  of  course  I  couldn't 
fail  to  recognize  him.  The  squatter  is  sitting  on 
the  porch  smoking  his  pipe.  Now,  how  shall  I  go 
to  work  to  nab  him?  That's  the  question." 

"  Ride  straight  up  to  him  and  tell  him  that  you 
want  him,"  answered  George.  "I  know  of  no 
easier  way.  I  will  go  with  you  and  see  that  Peas- 
ley  doesn't  double-team  on  you." 

"  But  Bryant  will  run  into  the  house  the  moment 
he  sees  me,"  said  Bob. 

"Then  run  right  in  after  him  and  pull  him  out 
again,"  answered  George  promptly. 

"I  am  almost  afraid  to  do  it.  You  see,  the 
civil  law  is  supposed  to  be  supreme,  and  we  soldiers 


142  GEOKGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

have  to  mind  wliat  we  are  about,  or  else  there'll  be 
a  big  row  raised  about  (  military  despotism5  and  all 
that.  I'd  have  to  surround  the  house  and  keep 
him  in  there  until  I  could  send  to  the  post  and 
get  authority  from  the  colonel  to  go  in  after  him. 
That  is  something  I  shouldn't  like  to  do,  for  I 
have  carried  this  thing  through  so  far  without  help 
from  anybody,  and  I  want  to  complete  the  work 
myself.  If  I  should  ask  for  advice,  the  colonel 
would  probably  send  a  shoulder-strap  down  here 
to  rob  me  of  all  the  glory  I  have  won,"  added  Bob 
with  a  smile. 

"Oh,  you  needn't  laugh  over  it,"  exclaimed 
George.  "  You  have  covered  yourself  with  glory. 
It  isn't  every  fellow  who  would  go  down  into  a 
dug-out  to  capture  six  armed  men  after  one  of  them 
had  given  positive  proof  that  he  was  not  afraid  to 
shoot.  That  bullet-hole  in  your  coat  is  a  badge  of 
honor.  Now,  I  have  just  thought  of  something: 
I  have  brought  with  me  a  full  suit  of  Mexican 
clothes,  and  also  a  saddle  and  bridle  of  the  Mex 
ican  pattern.  You  are  just  about  my  size — " 

"  That's  the  very  idea — nothing  could  be  better," 
exclaimed  Bob,  as  he  arose  to  his  feet  and  led  the 
way  toward  the  place  where  he  had  left  his  men. 


HOW   BRYANT    WAS   CAPTURED.  143 

"It  will  disguise  me  completely,  won't  it?  lean 
ride  up  and  get  between  him  and  the  house  before 
he  suspects  anything,  can't  I  ?  But  how  about  the 
squatter  ?" 

"  I'll  join  you  as  soon  as  I  see  that  you  have 
corralled  your  man,"  replied  George.  "And  you 
had  better  tell  your  followers  to  hold  themselves 
in  readiness  to  come  up  promptly  when  I  signal  to 
them  from  the  top  of  the  ridge." 

The  troopers  awaited  the  boys'  return  with  no 
little  impatience,  for  the  long  consultation  they  had 
held  on  the  ridge  convinced  them  that  their  officer 
had  discovered  something  on  the  other  side  of  it. 
Bob  gave  them  a  wink  and  a  nod,  which  instead 
of  satisfying  their  curiosity  only  increased  it,  and 
then,  to  the  surprise  of  all  of  them,  began  to  di 
vest  himself  of  his  outer  clothing,  while  George 
threw  off  the  canvas  covering  that  protected  his 
pack,  and  drew  out  of  it  an  elegant  silver-mounted 
saddle  and  bridle,  and  also  a  suit  of  clothes  made 
in  the  height  of  the  Mexican  fashion. 

"  If  that  man  of  yours  is  at  all  sharp  he  will 
notice  those  army-brogans  the  first  thing,  and  so 
you  had  better  pull  them  oif  and  put  on  these," 
said  George,  tossing  a  pair  of  light  patent-leather 


144  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

shoes  toward  Bob.  "There  are  the  spurs.  You 
had  better  take  my  horse  too,  for  that  ( U.  S.' 
brand  on  your  own  nag  would  give  you  away  in 
a  minute.  Now  go  easy,  like  an  honest  Greaser 
who  is  going  about  his  legitimate  business.  Take 
my  mule  with  you,  for  if  you  try  to  separate  him 
from  the  horse  he'll  raise  row  enough  to  scare  all 
the  deserters  out  of  the  State." 

It  is  wonderful  what  an  alteration  is  sometimes 
made  in  one's  appearance  by  a  mere  change  of 
clothing.  After  Bob  had  got  into  the  Mexican 
suit  and  exchanged  his  cap  for  the  wide  sombrero 
with  its  gaudy  cord  and  tassel,  it  was  doubtful  if 
there  was  one  among  his  brother-troopers  who 
would  have  recognized  him  if  he  had  chanced  to 
meet  him  unexpectedly.  Although  he  was  not 
quite  yellow  enough  for  a  Mexican,  he  was  never 
theless  pretty  well  tanned,  and  George  assured  him 
that  all  he  needed  was  a  black  moustache  and  a 
long  goatee  to  transform  him  into  a  very  good- 
looking  Greaser. 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  Bob  mounted 
George's  horse,  took  the  pack-mule's  halter,  which 
his  friend  passed  up  to  him,  and,  after  giving 
Carey  instructions  to  bring  up  the  squad  and  the 


HOW    BRYANT    WAS   CAPTURED.  145 

prisoners  promptly  when  he  was  signalled  to  do 
so,  he  rode  slowly  away,  the  new  scout  following 
a  short  distance  in  his  rear,  mounted  on  Bob's 
nag. 

Arriving  at  the  top  of  the  ridge,  Corporal  Owens 
rode  over  it  without  pausing,  and  had  not  pro 
ceeded  far  before  he  became  aware  that  he  was 
discovered.  The  squatter  got  up  and  came  to  the 
end  of  the  porch,  the  deserter  ceased  his  chop 
ping  and  leaned  on  his  axe,  and  both  shaded 
their  eyes  with  their  hands  and  looked  at  him. 
It  was  plain  that  they  were  not  very  well  pleased 
with  the  result  of  their  observations,  for,  after 
gazing  at  him  for  a  few  seconds,  the  squatter  re 
turned  to  his  seat  and  puffed  furiously  at  his  pipe, 
and  the  deserter  resumed  his  chopping.  At  the 
same  moment  the  dogs  appeared  in  force  from 
under  the  cabin,  their  every  action  indicating  that 
they  had  been  summoned  by  the  voice  of  their 
master.  They  looked  up  at  him,  wagging  their 
tails  vigorously,  and  then,  encouraged,  no  doubt, 
by  a  low  hiss  or  an  order  to  "  hunt  'em  up,"  be 
gan  running  about  with  their  heads  high  in  the 
air.  Discovering  the  approaching  horseman,  they 

started  for  him  on  the  instant,  each  one  striving 
10 


146  GEORGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

to  lead  in  the  race  and  to  growl  and  bark  louder 
than  his  companions. 

"They  don't  think  much  of  Greasers  in  this 
part  of  the  country/7  said  Bob  to  himself ;  "  and 
I  don't  blame  them.  If  I  were  a  stock-raiser  I 
shouldn't  feel  very  hospitably  inclined  toward  a 
class  of  men  who  are  always  on  the  watch  for  a 
chance  to  jump  down  on  me  and  steal  my  cattle. 
I  wonder  if  I  shall  have  pluck  enough  to  dis 
mount  in  the  midst  of  all  these  dogs  and  make 
the  arrest  ?"  added  Bob  as  the  fierce  brutes  closed 
about  him,  all  of  them  with  their  ears  laid  back 
close  to  their  heads  and  their  hair  turned  the 
wrong  way,  and  some  crouching  at  his  side  as 
if  they  were  about  to  spring  up  and  pull  him 
out  of  his  saddle. — "  Get  out !  If  you  interfere 
with  my  business  there  won't  be  as  many  of  you 
to-night  as  there  were  this  morning.  Aha !  there's 
one  of  you  out  of  the  muss  already." 

For  just  here  the  mule  gave  a  tug  at  his  hal 
ter,  and  Bob,  looking  over  his  shoulder  to  see  what 
was  the  matter,  caught  a  momentary  glimpse  of  a 
tawny  body  as  it  rose  in  the  air,  and,  turning  a 
complete  somersault,  landed  on  the  ground  all  in 
a  heap.  One  of  the  dogs,  in  his  eagerness  to  do 


HOW    BRYANT    WAS   CAPTURED.  147 

something  grand,  bad  approached  a  little  too  close 
to  the  mule's  heels — an  impertinence  which  that 
sagacious  quadruped  promptly  resented  by  kicking 
out  with  both  hind  feet  and  knocking  his  would- 
be  assailant  into  a  cocked  hat.  The  dog  was  not 
killed,  but  he  was  terribly  demoralized,  and  his 
howls  of  anguish  did  much  to  dampen  the  ardor 
of  his  companions,  who  quickly  withdrew  to  a 
more  respectful  distance. 

Bob  rode  straight  up  to  the  house,  but  the 
squatter  never  looked  at  him,  nor  did  the  deserter 
stop  his  work.  He  drew  rein  in  front  of  the  porch, 
swung  himself  out  of  the  saddle  as  quick  as  a  flash, 
and,  paying  no  attention  to  the  dogs,  which  bayed 
him  at  a  distance,  but  were  too  cowardly  to  assault 
him,  he  walked  up  to  the  deserter  and  tapped  him 
on  the  shoulder. 

"Bryant,  I  want  you/'  said  he. 

The  deserter,  whose  back  was  turned  toward  Bob, 
wheeled  on  the  instant,  revealing  a  face  that  was  as 
white  as  a  sheet.  Bob  backed  around  a  little,  so 
that  he  could  keep  one  eye  on  Bryant  while  lie 
watched  the  squatter  with  the  other,  and  saw  the 
man  spring  to  his  feet  in  the  greatest  astonishment, 
his  pipe  dropping  from  his  mouth  as  he  arose. 


148  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

"You  didn't  expect  to  see  me  again  so  soon, 
did  you?"  said  Bob,  addressing  himself  to  nobody 
in  particular. 

"  Corporal  Owens !"  gasped  the  deserter,  re 
treating  a  step  or  two,  at  the  same  time  grasping 
his  axe  firmly  in  both  hands  and  lifting  it  over 
his  head.  "  Keep  away  from  me ;  if  you  come 
a  step  nearer  I'll — " 

"  Drop  it !"  commanded  Bob  sternly;  and  Bryant 
obeyed,  for  he  saw  the  muzzle  of  a  cocked  revol 
ver  looking  him  squarely  in  the  face. 

All  this  happened  in  less  time  than  we  have 
taken  to  tell  it,  but  meanwhile  the  squatter  had 
not  been  idle.  Quickly  recovering  from  his  amaze 
ment,  he  darted  into  the  cabin,  and  just  as  Bryant 
dropped  the  threatening  axe  he  appeared  upon  the 
porch  with  his  rifle  in  his  hand.  Cocking  it  as  he 
drew  it  to  his  face,  he  covered  Bob's  head  with  the 
weapon,  and  said,  in  a  voice  that  trembled  with  rage 
and  excitement, 

"  Look  a  here,  young  fellow,  that's  a  game  two 
can  play  at.  Lower  your  shootin'-iron  or  I'll  make 
daylight  shine  through  you." 

"Plump  him  over,  Peasley !"  cried  Bryant, 
"plump  him  over!  You  are  not  going  to  stand 


HOW    BRYANT   WAS   CAPTURED.  149 

there  and  let  him  take  me  back  to  the  fort,  are 
you?  You  promised  to  protect  me.  Plump  him 
over !  put  the  dogs  on  him !  Do  something,  and 
be  quick  about  it." 

Bob  bore  himself  with  surprising  courage  dur 
ing  this  trying  ordeal.  He  did  not  know  at  what 
instant  the  squatter  might  comply  with  Bryant's 
frantic  order  to  "plump  him  over"  or  to  "put 
the  dogs  on  him,"  but  he  never  flinched.  He  did 
not  even  change  color ;  and  there  is  every  reason 
to  believe  that  his  bold  front  saved  his  life. 

"Bryant,"  said  he  in  a  calm  voice,  "don't  you 
know  that  the  colonel  will  be  sure  to  hear  of 
this,  and  that  you  are  only  making  a  bad  matter 
worse  by  holding  out  against  the  inevitable  ? — 
As  for  you,  Peasley,  you've  got  the  drop  on  me, 
and  you  can  shoot  if  you  feel  like  it ;  but  if  you 
do  you  are  a  gone  squatter.  Look  there,"  he 
added,  jerking  his  thumb  over  his  shoulder. 

Peasley  looked,  and  saw  George  Acker  man 
coming  down  the  ridge  at  a  furious  gallop. 

"That  is  one  of  my  backers,  and  there  are 
six  more  who  will  be  along  in  a  minute.  What 
did  I  tell  you  ?"  exclaimed  Bob  as  the  troopers 
and  their  prisoners  came  into  view  over  the  top 


150  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

of  the  ridge.  "Now,  Peasley,  if  you  don't  be 
have  yourself  I'll  take  you  to  the  fort  under 
arrest.  I  am  in  the  discharge  of  my  duty,  and  I 
am  not  going  to  puf  up  with  any  more  nonsense." 

The  squatter  lowered  his  rifle,  looked  first  at 
Bryant  and  then  at  the  troopers,  and  seemed  un 
decided  how  to  act.  While  he  hesitated  George 
Ackerman  dashed  up  to  the  porch,  jumping  out 
of  his  saddle  before  his  horse  had  fairly  stopped, 
and,  knocking  the  dogs  right  and  left  with  the 
heavy  cavalry  sabre  which  he  had  found  fastened 
to  Bob's  saddle,  he  mounted  the  steps  and  laid 
hold  of  the  squatter's  rifle. 

"  Peasley,  what  are  you  about  ?"  he  exclaimed 
as  he  twisted  the  weapon  out  of  the  man's  unre 
sisting  grasp.  "Are  you  a  born  idiot?  If  you 
are  not,  don't  you  know  that  if  you  raise  a  fuss 
here  you  won't  have  any  roof  left  over  your  head 
in  less  than  five  minutes?" 

The  squatter,  muttering  something  under  his 
breath,  went  back  to  his  seat  and  picked  up  his 
pipe,  and  in  a  few  minutes  more  the  troopers  and 
their  prisoners  arrived.  At  a  sign  from  his  officer, 
Loring  dismounted  and  stood  guard  over  Bryant, 
while  Bob  walked  up  to  the  porch. 


HOW    BRYANT    WAS    CAPTURED.  151 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  situation  now,  friend 
Peasley?"  said  lie  cheerfully.  "I  can't  take  that 
man  to  the  fort  in  those  clothes,  and  so  I  would 
thank  you  to  trot  out  his  uniform." 

"  Don't  know  nothing  'bout  no  uniform,"  growl 
ed  the  squatter ;  "  ain't  none  here." 

"  I  know  better,"  answered  Bob.  "  There  is 
one  here,  and  I  must  have  it.  You  can  either 
bring  it  out  yourself  or  I  shall  search  for  it;  and 
I  give  you  fair  warning  that  if  I  turn  my  boys 
loose  in  your  shanty  they'll  handle  things  rough. 
— Now,  what  shall  I  do  if  that  threat  doesn't  start 
him?"  said  Bob  to  himself.  "I'll  search  the 
cabin  and  take  the  consequences;  that's  what  I'll 
do." 

"  Come,  Peasley,  save  yourself  trouble  by  bring 
ing  out  the  uniform,"  said  George.  "There's  no 
use  in  being  a  fool." 

The  squatter  evidently  began  to  think  so  too, 
for  he  sullenly  rose  from  his  seat  and  went  into 
the  cabin,  coming  out  again  in  a  few  minutes  with 
a  bundle  of  clothing,  which  he  threw  spitefully 
down  upon  the  porch.  Bob  quietly  picked  it  up, 
and,  carrying  it  down  to  Bryant,  commanded  him 
to  pull  off  the  squatter's  clothes  and  put  on  his 


152  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

own ;  and  Bryant  at  once  complied,  for  he  knew 
that  if  he  did  not  Bob  would  detail  two  or  three 
men  to  make  the  exchange  for  him.  The  new 
prisoner  was  then  ordered  to  fall  in  with  the  rest, 
and  the  cavalcade  once  more  took  up  its  line  of 
march  for  the  fort;  but  a  short  stop  was  made  as 
soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight  of  the  squatter's 
cabin,  during  which  Bob  pulled  off  his  disguise 
and  put  on  his  own  garments. 

"  If  I  am  ever  obliged  to  wear  this  suit,  I  hope 
it  will  serve  me  as  well  as  it  has  served  you  to 
day,"  said  George  as  he  stowed  the  Mexican  cos 
tume  away  in  his  pack  and  placed  the  silver-mount 
ed  saddle  and  bridle  on  top  of  it.  "I  didn't  think 
it  would  so  soon  be  brought  into  use." 

"  If  it  hadn't  been   for  that  same  suit  I  might 

o 

have  got  myself  into  trouble,"  said  Bob.  "  Know 
ing  where  Bryant  was,  I  never  should  have  gone 
back  to  the  fort  without  him,  and  if  he  had  taken 
refuge  in  the  house  I  might  have  gone  in  after 
him.  What  the  colonel  would  have  said  to  me  if 
I  had  done  that,  I  don't  know." 

During  the  ride  to  the  fort  Bob  Owens,  to  quote 
from  the  troopers,  "laughed  all  over."  It  was 
plain  to  everybody  that  he  was  highly  elated  over 


HOW   BRYANT    WAS   CAPTURED.  153 

the  results  of  the  expedition,  as  he  had  an  undoubt 
ed  right  to  be.  The  pursuit  and  capture  of  the 
deserters  had  been  conducted  with  considerable 
skill,  and  with  as  much  determination  as  any  vet 
eran  officer  could  have  exhibited.  'Now  that  the 
danger  was  over,  and  his  efforts  to  carry  out  the 
orders  of  his  superior  had  been  crowned  with  com 
plete  success,  Bob  was  rather  proud  of  that  bullet- 
hole  in  his  coat. 

The  next  time  the  order  was  given  for  the  troop 
ers  to  take  the  prisoners  on  their  horses,  George 
beckoned  to  Gus  Robbins,  who  quickly  mounted  be 
hind  him.  After  conversing  a  while  upon  the  vari 
ous  exciting  incidents  that  had  transpired  while 
Gus  was  Ned  Ackerman's  guest  at  George's  ranche, 
the  latter  said, 

"  I  never  expected  to  meet  you  again,  and  I 
would  rather  not  have  met  you  at  all  than  see  you 
in  this  scrape." 

"  Well,  it  can't  be  helped  now,"  answered  Gus, 
witn  a  weak  unsuccessful  attempt  to  appear  defiant. 
"The  colonel  told  me  just  what  I  might  expect  if  I 
were  ever  again  court-martial  led  for  desertion,  and 
I  went  at  it  with  my  eyes  open.  I  am  not  sorry  I 
tried  it,  but  I  am  sorry  I  didn't  get  away.  If  they 


154  GEORGE  AT  THE   FORT. 

don't  watch  me  pretty  closely,  they  will  never  have 
a  chance  to  take  me  to  Leavenworth." 

"  What  do  you  suppose  your  father  will  say  when 
he  finds  it  out  ?"  asked  George. 

"He  will  never  find  it  out  if  I  can  help  it." 

"  Don't  you  correspond  with  him  ?" 

"Not  by  a  great  sight.  He  doesn't  know 
whether  I  am  dead  or  alive.  I  wish  I  had 
changed  my  name  when  I  enlisted." 

"  He  lives  in  Foxboro',  Ohio,  I  believe  ?"  said 
George. 

Gus  replied  that  he  did. 

"  Is  his  name  Gus  too  ?" 

"  No  ;  his  name  is  Thomas,  and  he  is —  I  say," 
exclaimed  Gus  suddenly,  "  what  are  you  asking  so 
many  questions  for?  Do  you  intend  to  write  to 
him  about  me?" 

"  Why,  what  object  could  I  possibly  have  in  do 
ing  that  ?"  asked  George,  turning  a  very  innocent- 
looking  face  toward  the  deserter.  "  I  am  sure  it 
is  none  of  my  business  what  you  do.  Let's  talk 
about  something  else.  We  are  getting  over  the 
ground  pretty  rapidly  now,  and  if  Bob  would  let 
me  I  could  land  you  in  the  fort  in  four  hours.  I 
don't  suppose  that  you  are  in  any  hurry  to  get 


HOW   BRYANT    WAS   CAPTURED.  155 

there,  but  what  I  meant  was,  that  your  additional 
weight  would  not  prevent  this  horse  of  mine  from 
travelling  from  here  to  the  fort  at  his  very  best 
licks." 

"  No,  I  don't  weigh  much  now,"  said  Gus  with 
a  sigh.  "Hard  work,  hard  fare,  hard  treatment 
and  constant  worry  have  brought  me  down  to  a 
hundred  and  ten  pounds." 

"  That's  not  very  heavy  for  a  seventeen-year-old 
boy." 

"Oh,  I  am  nineteen,"-  said  Gus,  "but  just  now 
I  feel  as  though  I  were  forty." 

"And  you  look  so,  too,"  said  George  to  him 
self. — "That  was  the  reason  I  wanted  to  know 
your  exact  age." 

George  had  now  learned  all  he  cared  to  know 
about  Gus  Robbing.  He  was  a  minor,  his  father's 
name  was  Thomas  and  he  lived  in  Foxboro',  Ohio. 
He  had  gone  to  work  in  a  roundabout  way  to  gain 
this  information,  because  he  was  afraid  that  if  he 
asked  Gus  leading  questions  and  told  him  what  use 
he  intended  to  make  of  his  answers,  the  deserter 
would  refuse  to  open  his  head.  He  had  gained  his 
point  by  strategy,  and  he  did  not  intend  that  Gus 
should  go  to  Leavenworth  if  he  could  help  it. 


156  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

Bob's  supply  of  rations  being  nearly  exhausted, 
his  men  and  the  deserters  had  a  very  scant  dinner, 
and  they  did  not  get  anything  more  to  eat  until 
they  reached  the  fort.  About  ten  o'clock  that 
night  they  were  challenged  by  one  of  the  sentries, 
and,  not  knowing  the  countersign,  were  obliged  to 
wait  until  the  corporal  of  the  guard  was  called. 
Having  at  last  been  admitted  inside  of  the  stock 
ade,  Bob  marched  up  in  front  of  head-quarters, 
where  he  ordered  a  halt,  and  he  and  George  dis 
mounted  and  went  in  to  report  to  the  colonel. 
Bob  was  very  much  astonished  at  the  manner  in 
which  the  officer  greeted  the  new  scout,  and  so  was 
the  orderly.  They  had  never  before  seen  him  un 
bend  to  anybody  as  he  did  to  George.  Having 
never  been  admitted  into  head-quarters  except  when 
they  had  business  there — some  report  to  make,  some 
orders  to  receive  or  some  sharp  reprimand  to  listen 
to — they  knew  the  commandant  only  as  a  stern, 
exacting  officer  who  seemed  to  care  for  nothing 
but  the  "  regulations/7  and  they  had  never  im 
agined  that  he  could  be  cordial  or  friendly  with 
any  one.  But  now  they  saw  their  mistake.  The 
colonel  got  up  from  his  seat,  shook  the  boy  warm 
ly  by  the  hand,  told  him  he  was  glad  to  see  him, 


HOW    BKYANT    WAS    CAPTURED.  157 

called  him  by  his  Christian  name  and  pointed  him 
to  an  easy-chair,  while  Bob  was  left  to  stand  at  at 
tention  until  the  colonel  got  ready  to  attend  to 
him. 

"  You  are  all  ready  for  business  I  §ee,  George/7 
said  the  colonel  as  he  resumed  his  seat  at  the  table. 
"  Well,  I'll  give  you  a  taste  of  army-life  by  send 
ing  you  out  on  a  scout  to-morrow.  I  will  tell  you 
about  it  pretty  soon.  There's  your  room,"  he  add 
ed,  pointing  to  an  apartment  adjoining  his  own, 
"and  when  you  get  ready  you  can  bring  in  your 
luggage.  The  officer,  of  the  day  will  show  you 
where  to  put  your  horse.  You  will  have  to  be 
your  own  servant,  unless  you  are  willing  to  hire 
a  civilian  and  pay  him  out  of  your  own  pocket. 
I  saw  that  you  came  in  with  Corporal  Owens : 
did  he  arrest  you?" 

"He  was  going  to,  sir,"  replied  George,  "but 
let  me  off  when  I  showed  him  my  furlough." 

"Corporal,"  continued  the  colonel,  turning  to 
Bob,  who  stood  lost  in  wonder,  "  what  report 
have  you  to  make?" 

"  I  have  the  honor,  sir,  to  report  my  entire 
success,"  was  Bob's  reply;  "I've  got  them  all." 

"  Where  are  they  now  ?" 


158  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

"  On  the  parade,  under  guard,  sir." 
"Very  good.     Keep  them   there   until   further 
orders.      Tell  the   officer   of    the  day   I   want   to 
see  him." 

George  thought  this  was  rather  hard.  Bob  had 
risked  his  life  and  displayed  most  commendable 
zeal  and  ability  in  carrying  out  the  colonel's  or 
ders,  and  now  the  latter  dismissed  him  without 
one  single  word  to  indicate  that  he  appreciated 
his  services.  Why  did  he  not  question  the  cor 
poral  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  the  cap 
ture  of  the  deserters  had  been  effected,  and  reward 
him  for  his  gallantry  by  making  him  a  sergeant 
on  the  spot?  That  was  what  George  thought  he 
would  have  done  if  he  had  been  commandant  of 
the  post,  and  he  then  and  there  resolved  that  a 
full  history  of  Bob's  exploit  should  be  laid  be 
fore  the  colonel  before  he  went  to  sleep  that 
night. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

GEORGE    AT    THE    FORT. 

"/COLONEL,  that  young  fellow  has  had  a  very 
hard  time  of  it,"  said  George  when  Bob  had 
closed  the  door  behind  him. 

"  I  expected  it,"  replied  the  officer  carelessly. 
"  It  is  a  wonder  to  me  that  the  deserters  didn't 
kill  him,  for  there  were  some  hard  characters 
among  them  and  they  were  well  armed." 

This  remark  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the 
colonel  was  a  most  unfeeling  man,  and  that  he 
did  not  set  much  if  any  value  upon  the  life  of  a 
non-commissioned  officer ;  but  such  was  not  really 
the  case.  When  he  was  a  subaltern  his  superiors 
had  often  assigned  to  him  some  very  hazardous 
undertakings,  and  when  he  attained  to  a  rank 
that  entitled  him  to  a  command  he  sent  others 
into  danger  and  thought  nothing  of  it.  A  soldier's 
first  and  last  duty  was  to  obey  any  orders  he  might 
receive,  and  if  he  lost  his  life  while  in  the  act  of 

159 


160  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

executing  those  orders,  why,  it  was  nothing  more 
than  might  be  expected. 

"  They  did  try  to  kill  him,"  said  George. 
"Didn't  you  notice  that  hole  in  the  breast  of  his 
coat?" 

"I  did,  and  I  thought  it  looked  as  though  it 
had  been  made  by  a  bullet." 

aSo  it  was.  Bristow  shot  at  him.  He  wanted 
to  be  revenged  on  Bob  for  telling  you  about  those 
thirty  men  who  tried  to  desert  some  time  ago,  and 
if  he  had  been  a  little  better  marksman  you  would 
have  been  put  to  the  trouble  of  appointing  a  new 
corporal  in  the  place  of  as  brave  a  boy  as  ever 
swung  a  sabre." 

"Why,  George,"  exclaimed  the  colonel,  becom 
ing  interested,  "  you  are  quite  enthusiastic.  Do 
you  know  Corporal  Owens  ?" 

"Yes,  sir.  He  is  the  one  who  pulled  me  out 
of  the  river  on  the  night  the  old  Sam  Kendall 
was  burned." 

"  Oh  yes ;  you  told  me  about  that  the  first 
time  you  were  here.  Where  did  the  corporal  find 
Bristow  and  his  party?" 

George  answered  this  question  by  giving  the 
colonel  a  circumstantial  account  of  the  pursuit,  as 


GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT.  161 

he  had  heard  it  from  Bob's  lips,  and  the  manner 
in  which  he  had  gone  to  work  to  secure  the  de 
serters  after  he  had  discovered  their  place  of  ref 
uge.  His  description  of  Bryant's  arrest  amused 
the  officer,  who  declared  that  it  was  a  very  neat 
piece  of  strategy. 

Having  placed  Bob's  case  in  the  most  favorable 
light  possible,  George  then  went  on  to  tell  the  col 
onel  about  Springer's  unexpected  visit  to  his  ranche, 
and  described  in  detail  the  intended  movements  of 
Fletcher  and  his  band.  The  officer  said  he  had 
done  right  in  sending  the  cattle-thief  to  warn  the 
commandant  at  Eagle  Pass,  and  had  no  doubt  that 
that  officer  would  take  measures  to  assist  the  civil 
authorities  at  Bio  Grande  City  in  protecting  the 
jail  and  giving  Fletcher  and  his  men  a  warm 
reception  when  they  came  across  the  river;  but,  in 
order  to  explain  what  happened  afterward,  we  must 
here  say  that  he  did  nothing  of  the  kind.  Un 
fortunately  for  Springer,  he  was  recognized  by  some 
ranchemen  who  happened  to  be  hanging  about  the 
post,  and  in  spite  of  his  protestations  he  was  arrested 
and  turned  over  to  the  marshal,  who  locked  him  up. 
No  attention  whatever  was  paid  to  his  warning,  and 

so  positive  was  the  marshal  that  there  was  "  some- 
11 


162  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

thing  back  of  it"  that  he  would  not  even  permit 
the  prisoner  to  tell  his  story. 

The  cattle-thief  remained  in  jail  until  the  next 
full  moon,  and  then  Fletcher  and  his  men  sudden 
ly  made  their  appearance,  just  as  Springer  said  they 
would.  As  no  precautions  had  been  taken  to  guard 
the  prison,  the  raiders  had  an  easy  victory,  and  be 
fore  assistance  could  arrive  from  the  Pass,  Springer 
and  the  murderers  of  the  cowboy  had  been  released 
and  Fletcher  was  safe  across  the  river.  Springer, 
of  course,  was  much  too  sharp  to  tell  how  he  came 
to  be  an  inmate  of  the  jail,  and  the  boss  cattle-thief, 
believing  that  he  had  been  arrested  while  trying  to 
carry  out  his  instructions,  treated  him  with  the 
greatest  consideration. 

"  What  did  you  mean  by  saying  that  you  would 
give  me  a  taste  of  army-life  by  sending  me  out  on 
a  scout  to-morrow?"  asked  George  after  he  had 
finished  his  story.  "  Any  raiding  going  on  about 
here?" 

"  Well,  yes.  I  am  going  to  send  Clinton  out  to 
punish  a  war-party  of  Kiowas  if  he  can  catch  them. 
I  am  aware  you  are  used  to  roughing  it,  but  you 
know  nothing  about  campaigning  with  troops,  and  I 
thought  I  would  give  you  a  chance  to  get  your  hand 


GEORGE   AT   THE   FOUT.  163 

in  before  I  call  upon  you  to  lead  us  across  the  river. 
Some  young  bucks  belonging  to  Satanta's  band,  the 
most  of  them  mere  boys,  have  broken  away  from 
their  agency  and  come  down  here  in  pursuit  of  scalps 
and  fame.  Among  other  outrages  which  they  have 
committed,  they  jumped  down  on  a  poor  fellow  the 
other  day,  killed  or  scattered  his  herdsmen,  drove 
off  his  stock  and  carried  his  two  children  into  cap 
tivity.  I  should  like  to  be  the  .means  of  ridding 
the  frontier  of  that  villain,  for  he  is  dangerous. 
During  a  peace-council  that  was  held  at  Fort  Dodge 
some  time  ago,  Satanta  talked  so  glibly  about  his 
desire  to  cultivate  friendly  relations  with  us,  and 
his  unalterable  determination  to  '  follow  the  white 
man's  road '  in  future,  that  he  really  succeeded  in 
making  the  commissioners  believe  that  he  was  sin 
cere  in  what  he  said.  To  encourage  him  in  his 
good  resolutions,  the  department  commander  and 
staff  presented  him  with  a  uniform  coat  and  sash 
and  a  brigadier-general's  hat.  How  the  wily  old 
scoundrel  must  have  laughed  in  his  sleeve  when  he 
saw  how  completely  he  had  bamboozled  some  of 
our  best  soldiers !" 

"How  long  did   he  keep  his  promise?"  asked 
George. 


164  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

"  About  three  weeks,  and  then  he  led  an  attack, 
dressed  in  his  new  uniform,  against  the  fort  in 
which  the  council  was  held.  Oh,  he's  a  good  one ! 
I  know  you  didn't  come  here  to  fight  Indians,  but 
you'll  have  to  hold  yourself  in  readiness  for  any 
thing  that  turns  up." 

"  You  will  always  find  me  around  when  you 
want  me,"  replied  George.  "  May  I  write  a  letter 
here?"  he  continued,  seeing  that  the  colonel  pick 
ed  up  his  pen  and  turned  to  his  table  to  resume 
some  writing  in  which  he  had  been  interrupted 
when  Bob  and  the  new  scout  came  in  to  re 
port. 

"Certainly.  There  are  pens,  ink  and  paper;  help 
yourself.  There's  the  letter-box  over  there.  The 
mail-carrier  goes  out  to-morrow." 

Before  George  could  begin  work  on  his  letter 
the  officer  of  the  day  came  in.  He  shook  hands 
with  the  new-comer,  to  whom  he  had  been  intro 
duced  on  the  occasion  of  the  boy's  first  visit  to 
the  fort,  and  was  told  by  the  colonel  to  put  the 
deserters  into  the  guard-house,  to  show  George 
whore  to  stake  out  his  horse  and  mule,  and  to 
see  that  he  had  somebody  to  help  him  bring  in 
his  pack-saddle. 


GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT.  165 

The  work  of  bringing  in  his  luggage  and  taking 
care  of  his  animals  was  soon  performed,  and  then 
George  came  back  and  began  his  letter.  It  took 
him  a  long  time  to  write  it,  for  he  wanted  to  make 
it  one  that  would  produce  an  impression  upon  the 
person  to  whom  it  was  addressed.  It  was  to  Gus 
Robbing's  father.  It  conveyed  to  that  gentleman 
the  information  that  although  his  son  was  alive 
and  in  fair  bodily  health,  he  had  brought  himself 
into  serious  trouble,  having  been  detected  in  two 
attempts  at  desertion,  and  unless  his  friends  at 
home  interested  themselves  in  his  behalf  he  had 
a  fair  prospect  of  going  to  prison.  If  Mr.  Rob- 
bins  would  move  in  the  matter  he  could  easily  pro 
cure  the  culprit's  discharge  from  the  service,  for  he 
was  a  minor  and  had  enlisted  without  his  father's 
consent;  but  if  there  was  anything  done  it  must 
be  done  quickly,  for  it  was  probable  that  a  court- 
martial  would  be  convened  in  a  very  few  days. 
Having  sealed  and  addressed  the  letter,  he  bade 
the  colonel  good-night  and  went  to  bed,  feeling 
satisfied  that  he  had  done  all  he  could  for  the 
unfortunate  Gus. 

George  slept  soundly,  as  he  always  did,  but  the 
morning  gun  and  the  first  notes  of  reveille  awoke 


166  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

him.  While  he  was  making  his  toilet  with  his 
usual  care  and  deliberation — as  we  have  said,  his 
long  intercourse  with  river-dandies  had  made  him 
very  particular  on  this  point — his  friend,  Bob 
Owens,  and  the  men  who  occupied  the  quarters 
with  him,  were  hurrying  on  their  clothes  in  order 
to  get  into  line  in  time  to  answer  to  their  names 
at  roll-call.  While  they  were  dressing  they  talked, 
and  this  was  a  portion  of  the  conversation  that 
took  place  between  the  corporal  and  one  of  the 
colonel's  orderlies — the  same  one  who  had  been 
on  duty  when  Bob  went  in  to  report  his  arrival 
with  the  deserters. 

"  I  say,  Owens,"  exclaimed  the  orderly,  "  who 
was  that  nobby  young  officer  who  came  in  with 
you  last  night?  What  is  his  name,  and  what  rank 
does  he  hold  ?  I  know  he  is  green,  for  he  didn't 
know  enough  to  put  on  a  dress-coat  before  he  went 
into  the  colonel's  presence." 

"  His  name  is  George  Ackerman,"  answered  Bob, 
"  but  he  not  an  officer  ;  he's  a  scout." 

" '  A  scout ' !"  repeated  the  orderly  in  a  tone  of 
contempt.  "  He  is  a  pretty-looking  scout,  I  must 
say.  What  does  he  know  about  life  on  the 
Plains?" 


GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT.  167 

"  He  knows  a  good  deal  more  about  it  than  any 
body  in  this  room,  for  he  was  born  right  here  in 
Texas/7  was  the  reply. 

"Has  he  ever  seen  service?" 

"  No,  but  he  knows  what  danger  is,  and  he  has 
been  in  some  situations  that  you  wouldn't  care  to 
be  placed  in.  During  long  months  of  his  life  he 
lived  in  constant  fear  of  a  violent  death." 

"  I  don't  doubt  that  he  told  you  so,  but  I  don't 
believe  it,  all  the  same,"  observed  the  orderly. 

"  I  can't  help  that.  I  am  personally  acquainted 
with  him,  and  you  are  not.  I  was  with  him  when 
the  steamer  to  which  he  belonged  was  burned  on 
the  Mississippi  River,  and  came  to  Texas  with  him. 
He  owns  a  big  cattle- ranch e  a  few  miles  from  here, 
and  has  an  income  of  about  forty  thousand  dollars 
a  year." 

"Aha!  that  accounts  for  the  milk  in  the  cocoa- 
nut,"  exclaimed  the  orderly.  "  I  know  now  why 
it  was  that  the  colonel  met  him  in  so  friendly  a 
manner.  Even  those  stern  old  regulars  soften  in 
the  presence  of  one  who  was  born  with  a  silver 
spoon  in  his  mouth,  don't  they?" 

"  But  George  Ackerman's  money  didn't  get  him 
the  position  he  holds,"  said  Bob  quickly.  "  He 


168  GEORGE  AT  THE  FORT. 

has  been  a  prisoner  among  the  cattle-thieves  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  knows  where  they 
hang  out.  He  is  here  to  act  as  our  guide  when 
we  pursue  the  raiders  across  the  river." 

"  What  did  the  cattle-thieves  take  him  prisoner 
for?" 

"  Because  they  were  promised  twenty  thousand 
dollars  for  it  by  George's  guardian,  who  wanted 
to  get  him  out  of  the  way,  so  that  his  son  could 
inherit  George's  property.  But  he  managed  to 
escape  from  them,  went  up  North  and  became  a 
pilot,  and  it  was  while  he  was  serving  in  that  ca 
pacity  that  I  made  his  acquaintance." 

"  That's  a  very  pretty  story,"  remarked  the  or 
derly,  "  but  doesn't  it  sound  almost  too  much  like 
a  dime  novel?" 

"  If  you  don't  believe  it  ask  Gus  Bobbins,  if 
you  get  a  chance  to  speak  to  him.  He  knows 
George,  and  has  reason  to  be  grateful  to  him  too. 
Gus  came  down  here  to  visit  Ned  Ackerman  while 
the  latter's  father  was  acting  as  George's  guardian, 
and  got  himself  into  trouble  that  would  have  end 
ed  seriously  if  George  had  not  befriended  him. 
It  was  through  that  same  visit  that  Gus  got  into 
the  army." 


GEORGE   AT   THE  FORT.  169 

"Did  you  hear  what  the  colonel  said  to  him 
about  a  servant  ?"  asked  the  orderly.  "  Whoever 
saw  a  scout  with  a  servant?  I  never  did,  and 
neither  did  I  ever  before  see  a  man  holding  that 
position  treated  with  so  much  consideration  by  a 
post-commander.  I  can't  account  for  it." 

Bob  could  not  account  for  it  either,  and  so  he 
attempted  no  explanation.  We  may  tell  the  reader 
that  there  were  two  good  reasons  for  it.  In  the 
first  place,  George  was  not  a  regular  scout;  he 
might,  with  more  propriety,  have  been  called  a 
volunteer  aide.  It  is  true  that  he  was  sworn  into 
the  service,  and  that  he  was  bound  to  do  his  duty 
faithfully  "during  the  pleasure  of  the  command 
ing  officer"  of  Fort  Lamoine,  but  he  drew  no 
pay  from  the  government.  He  did  not  even  ask 
that  he  should  be  fed  while  he  lived  at  the  fort, 
but  stood  ready  to  pay  his  share  of  the  mess-bill. 
He  had  freely  offered  his  services  as  guide  to  the 
troops  because  he,  in  common  with  every  ranch e- 
man  and  farmer  in  that  country,  wanted  the  raid- 
ing-parties  broken  up,  and  he  believed  that  he 
could  do  as  much,  if  not  more,  toward  accomplish 
ing  that  object  than  any  other  single  civilian.  He 
was  not  obliged  to  wear  a  uniform  (being  sworn  in, 


170  GEORGE   AT   THE    FOET. 

he  had  a  right  to  wear  it),  but  he  had  purchased  it 
for  the  same  reason  that  he  had  purchased  the 
Mexican  costume  and  the  other  clothing  lie  had 
brought  with  him — because  he  believed  it  might 
some  day  be  of  use  to  him.  We  have  already 
seen  how  one  of  his  disguises  came  into  play.  If 
he  had  not  brought  with  him  that  Mexican  suit, 
it  is  hard  to  tell  how  Bryant  would  have  been 
captured. 

In  the  next  place,  the  colonel  was  an  old  ac 
quaintance  and  friend  of  George's  father.  He 
had  often  enjoyed  Mr.  Acker  man's  hospitality,  and 
he  could  say,  with  Zeke,  that  he  had  carried  George 
in  his  arms  when  the  latter  was  a  "yelling  baby 
not  knee-high  to  a  duck,''  and  when  he  himself 
was  nothing  but  a  second  lieutenant.  Since  that 
time  a  great  many  things  had  happened.  Mr. 
Ackerman  and  his  wife  were  dead,  the  second 
lieutenant  had  passed  through  a  terrible  war,  had 
worn  a  major-general's  shoulder-straps  in  the 
volunteer  army  and  won  a  brevet  colonelcy  in 
the  regulars,  and  George  had  grown  almost  to 
manhood.  Neither  of  them  knew  of  the  presence 
of  the  other  .in  that  country  un^til  George,  accom 
panied  by  Mr.  Gilbert  and  a  few  other  ranchemen, 


GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT.  171 

came  to  the  fort  to  offer  his  services.  The  colonel 
knew  the  boy  as  soon  as  he  heard  his  name,  and  it 
was  on  account  of  the  respect  and  affection  he  cher 
ished  for  the  memory  of  his  father  that  he  extended 
so  cordial  a  greeting  to  him  ;  but,  like  all  the  other 
soldiers  who  had  seen  him,  the  colonel  did  not  think 
that  George  was  just  the  guide  he  wanted. 

"  I  need  somebody  with  age  and  experience, 
George,"  said  he,  "  and  you  have  neither.  I  know 
you  can  handle  a  herd  of  cattle  and  manage  your 
ranche  in  good  style,  but  I  am  not  so  certain  of 
your  ability  to  act  as  guide  to  my  troops.  I  ad 
mire  your  pluck,  and  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you 
come  here  and  live  unti]  you  get  tired  of  it ;  and 
in  order  to  make  it  lawful  for  you  to  stay  here,  I 
will  give  you  a  position  as  forage-master." 

"I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  sir,  but  that 
is  a  berth  I  don't  want,"  answered  George.  "I 
want  to  help  put  down  those  raiders." 

"But  just  think  of  the  responsibility  that  would 
rest  upon  you,"  protested  the  colonel.  "  A  single 
blunder  on  your  part  might  cripple  me  fear 
fully." 

"  You  need  have  no  fears  on  that  score,"  said 
Mr.  Gilbert.  "  George  is  good  wherever  you  put 


172  GEOEGE    AT   THE   FOKT. 

him.  He  is  acquainted  with  Fletcher,  who  is  the 
most  active  of  all  the  raiders  who  trouble  us ;  he 
knows  where  he  hangs  out,  and  he  is  the  only 
one  on  this  side  of  the  river  who  does.  When 
it  comes  to  trailing,  he  is  at  home  there  too. 
Can  you  look  at  a  trail  and  tell  how  old  it  is 
and  how  many  men  or  horses  made  it?" 

No,  the  colonel  couldn't  do  that.  He  always 
looked  to  his  scouts  for  information  on  those 
points. 

"George  can  do  it,"  said  Mr.  Gilbert.  "He 
has  served  his  time  under  one  of  the  best  trailers 
in  the  country ;  and  that  is  Zeke,  his  herds 
man." 

After  a  little  more  conversation  the  colonel, 
although  not  without  many  misgivings,  accepted 
the  oifer  of  George's  services ;  and  he  never  had 
occasion  to  regret  it.  During  the  very  first  ex 
pedition  that  was  sent  out  of  the  fort  after  he 
reported  there  for  duty  he  showed  what  he  was 
made  of,  and  gave  the  colonel  reason  for  placing 
almost  unlimited  confidence  in  his  judgment. 
Acting  as  Bob  Owens's  counsellor,  he  enabled 
the  latter  to  perform  an  exploit  that  made  him 
the  lion  of  the  post. 


GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT.  173 

Having  dressed  himself,  George  passed  through 
the  colonel's  office  and  out  through  the  hall  to 
the  parade.  In  the  outer  door  was  seated  a  man 
who  was  bent  half  double,  with  his  elbows  rest 
ing  on  his  knees  and  his  face  buried  in  his  hands. 
Hearing  the  sound  of  the  boy's  footsteps,  he  raised 
his  head,  revealing  a  countenance  so  haggard  and 
sorrowful  that  George  was  startled  at  the  sight  of 
it.  The  man  moved  aside  to  allow  him  room  to 
pass,  and  then  covered  his  face  with  his  hands 
again,  and  as  George  walked  out  he  was  sure 
he  heard  him  utter  a  suppressed  moan.  The 
man  was  not  a  soldier,  for  he  was  ^  dressed  in 
citizen's  clothes.  He  looked  like  a  rancheman ; 
and  as  George  was  a  rancheman  himself,  he  nat 
urally  felt  some  sympathy  for  the  unknown  suf 
ferer.  After  hesitating  a  moment,  weighing  in 
his  mind  the  propriety  of  the  step  he  Avas  about 
to  take,  he  turned  back  and  asked, 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you,  sir?  Are  you 
ill?" 

"  '  111 '  ?"  repeated  the  man,  without  looking  up. 
"Worse  than  that — worse  than  that." 

"  Is  there  anything  that  I  can  do  for  you  ?"  ask 
ed  George.  "  You  seem  to  be  in  great  trouble." 


174  GEOKGE   AT   THE   FOKT. 

As  these  words  fell  upon  his  ear  the  man 
straightened  up,  and,  gazing  at  George  with  a  pair 
of  wild-looking  eyes,  said,  in  a  voice  that  was  ren 
dered  husky  by  some  strong  emotion, 

"  I  am  in  trouble,  partner,  and  although  I  do 
not  think  you  can  help  me  in  any  way,  I  feel 
grateful  to  you  for  your  sympathy.  I  have  been 
bounced  by  the  hostiles  and  cleaned  out — com 
pletely  cleaned  out." 

"  That  is  bad/7  returned  George,  who  told  him 
self  that  the  man  took  his  loss  very  much  to  heart. 
He  knew  a  good  many  stock-raisers  who  had  been 
" bounced "^and  "cleaned  out,"  but  he  had  never 
before  seen  one  who  seemed  to  be  so  utterly  bro 
ken  down  by  his  misfortunes  as  this  one  did. 
The  stranger's  next  words,  however,  explained  it 
all. 

"The  loss  of  my  ranche  and  stock  I  don't 
mind,"  said  he;  "that's  nothing.  But  when  one 
sees  his  two  motherless  boys  carried  off  by  the  red 
fiends,  while  he  is  powerless  to  help  them,  it's 
pretty  rough,  it's  pretty  rough." 

"  Why,  this  must  be  the  man  the  colonel  told 
me  about  last  night,"  said  George  to  himself. 

"  I  should  not  fear  that  the  savages  would  raise 


GEOKGE   AT   THE    FORT.  175 

their  hands  against  the  lives  of  the  boys  (they  are 
too  young  to  be  put  to  torture,  one  being  eight  and 
the  other  ten  years  of  age)  if  it  were  not  for  one 
thing/'  continued  the  bereaved  father,  jumping  to 
his  feet  and  pacing  back  and  forth  like  a  caged  tiger. 
"  I  made  a  hard  fight  of  it,  and  dropped  a  Kiowa 
for  every  year  of  my  oldest  boy's  age.  Of  course 
the  death  of  those  warriors  will  have  to  be  avenged 
by  their  relatives.  Perhaps  you  don't  know  it, 
but  that  is  Indian  law." 

"I  do  know  it,"  interrupted  George.  " I 
couldn't  have  lived  so  close  to  these  raiders,  both 
Indians  and  Mexicans,  nearly  all  my  life  without 
learning  something  about  their  ways,  could  I  ?  I 
am  a  Texan,  like  yourself." 

"  You  are  ?     I  took  you  for  a  Yankee  soldier." 

"There's  where  you  made  a  mistake,"  replied 
George.  "  I  was  born  in  Miller  county  in  this 
State,  and  I  am  here  to  act  as  guide  to  the  troops 
when  they  cross  the  river  in  pursuit  of  the  cattle- 
thieves." 

"Good  !  Put  it  there  !"  exclaimed  the  man,  ex 
tending  his  hand,  while  his  face  for  the  moment 
showed  the  pleasure  he  felt  at  the  meeting.  "  My 
name  is  Wentworth ;  what  is  yours  ?" 


176  GEOKGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

George  told  him,  and  Mr.  Wentworth  said  he 
Lad  often  heard  the  name,  and  in  a  roundabout 
way  had  learned  something  of  the  family  his 
tory. 

"  I  have  heard  of  you  too,"  said  George.  "  You 
have  often  been  obliged  to  run  in  order  to  save 
your  life  and  stock,  have  you  not?" 

"Yes,  and  I  have  always  succeeded  in  getting 
safely  away  ;  but  there  is  a  first  time  for  every 
body,  and  mine  came  three  days  ago.  I  was  go 
ing  on  to  say  that  I  am  afraid  the  savages  will 
take  vengance  on  my  helpless  little  boys  for  the 
braves  I  shot  in  the  fight,"  continued  Mr.  Went 
worth.  "  If  they  don't  do  that,  they  will  proba 
bly  hold  them  for  ransom ;  but  they  might  as 
well  tomahawk  the  boys  at  once  and  put  them 
out  of  their  misery,  for  I  haven't  a  horn  nor  a 
hoof  nor  a  cent  of  money  to  give  in  exchange 
for  them.  I  know  I  have  seen  them  for  the  last 
time,  but  won't  I  make  it  hot  for  those  who  stole 
them?" 

George  could  not  say  anything  comforting.  The 
sight  of  the  strong  man's  overwhelming  grief  struck 
him  dumb. 

"I  know  some  of  the  bucks  who  were  in  the 


GEORGE    AT   THE    FORT.  177 

fight,"  continued  Mr.  Wentworth,  grinding  his 
teeth  and  rubbing  his  hands  nervously  together. 
"They  have  often  camped  on  my  ranche  when 
they  came  down  here  buffalo-hunting.  I  don't 
care  what  treaties  our  government  may  make  with 
that  tribe ;  there  will  be  eternal  Avar  between  me 
and  them.  No  Kiowa  shall  ever  cross  my  trail 
and  live — no,  not  if  I  hang  for  it.  I  only  wish 
that  some  of  those  peace  commissioners  —  those 
lunatics  who  believe  that  an  Indian  is  a  human 
being  and  needs  only  kind  treatment  to  make 
him  peaceable  and  friendly — could  stand  in  my 
boots  this  minute.  I  tell  you,  Acker  man,  if  one 
of  them  were  here  now  I'd  stand  and  see  an 
Indian  shoot  him,  and  never  lift  a  hand  in  his 
defence.  I  got  in  last  night  and  told  the  colonel 
about  it,  and  he  said  he  would  send  out  a  couple 
of  companies  this  morning  with  orders  to  over 
take  and  punish  them  if  possible;  but  he  might 
as  well  save  his  men  and  horses,  for  it  isn't  pos 
sible.  They  have  reached  the  Staked  Plains  by 
this  time,  and  are  safe  from  pursuit.  This  is  a 
lovely  government  for  a  white  man  to  live  under, 
isn't  it?  It  is  too  cowardly  to  protect  us  from 
the  Mexicans,  and  too  tender-hearted  to  hang 

12 


178  GEOKGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

an  Indian  for  murder  unless  he  happens  to  kill 
some  one  high  in  authority,  like  General  Canby." 
Mr.  Wentworth  seemed  almost  beside  himself 
when  he  thought  of  his  boys,  who  were  now  so 
many  miles  away  from  him,  for  then  it  was  that 
he  realized  how  powerless  he  was  to  help  them. 
He  went  on  in  this  strain  until  he  had  talked 
himself  out  of  breath,  and  then  he  went  back 
to  his  seat  on  the  doorstep  and  covered  his  face 
with  his  hands. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

WHAT    GEORGE    KNEW   ABOUT    TRAILING. 

is  a  hard  case,"  said  George  to  himself 
as  he  walked  slowly  toward  the  gate,  "and 
I  believe,  as  Mr.  Wentworth  does,  that  he  has 
seen  his  children  for  the  last  time.  In  the  first 
place,  the  chances  are  that  the  Indians,  having  so 
long  a  start,  will  not  be  overtaken;  but  if  they 
go  out  of  their  way  to  attack  other  isolated 
ranches,  and  the  troops  should  come  up  with 
them,  their  very  first  act,  if  they  saw  that  they 
were  likely  to  be  whipped,  would  be  to  kill  their 
captives,  so  that  they  could  not  be  rescued.  It 
is  a  hard  case,  that's  a  fact,  and  I  don't  see  that 
anything  can  be  done  about  it.  I  wish  Zeke  were 
here  to  give  his  opinion  on  the  subject." 

The  troopers,  having  answered  to  the  names,  were 
going  out  to  bring  in  their  horses  preparatory  to 
grooming  them,  and  George  went  with  them  to 
bring  in  his  own.  Nearly  an  hour  was  devoted 

179 


180  GEORGE    AT   THE    FOET. 

to  this  important  duty,  which  was  performed  un 
der  the  watchful  eye  of  an  officer,  and  although 
George  often  saw  his  friend  Bob,  the  latter  did 
not  speak  to  him.  There  were  a  good  many  shoul 
der-straps  around,  and  work,  and  not  talk,  was  the 
order  of  the  day.  Even  those  of  the  officers  who, 
having  no  servants,  were  obliged  to  act  as  their 
own  grooms,  had  very  little  to  say  to  one  another; 
but  when  these  same  officers  were  gathered  around 
the  breakfast-table  half  an  hour  later,  they  were 
lively  and  talkative  enough.  There  they  met 
on  a  footing  of  perfect  equality,  like  the  members 
of  a  private  family,  although  the  juniors  did  not 
forget  to  say  "  sir  "  when  addressing  their  superiors. 
There  were  no  orders  issued  during  the  progress 
of  the  meal,  and  in  fact  very  little  was  said  about 
military  matters ;  but  still,  George  heard  enough 
to  satisfy  him  that  active  operations  against  the 
thieving  Kiowas  were  to  be  commenced  immedi 
ately,  and  that  he  was  to  make  one  of  an  ex 
pedition  upon  whose  success  a  good  deal  de 
pended. 

The  appearance  of  the  officers  as  they  passed 
into  the  hall  after  rising  from  the  breakfast-table 
must  have  been  a  signal  to  the  bugler  who  stood 


WHAT   GEORGE    KNEW    ABOUT   TRAILING.    181 

in  front  of  the  door  of  head-quarters,  for  as  soon 
as  he  saw  them  he  raised  his  instrument  to  his 
lips  and  blew  a  shrill  call.  The  clear,  ringing 
notes  had  scarcely  ceased  when  there  was  a  com 
motion  in  the  barracks,  and  a  crowd  of  men  came 
pouring  out  and  hurried  toward  the  stables.  There 
were  a  hundred  and  twenty  of  them,  and  they 
belonged  to  the  troops  A,  E  and  L — the  latter 
commonly  called  the  "  Brindles  " — of  which  Cap 
tain  Clinton's  scou ting-party  was  to  be  composed. 

"That's  'Boots  and  saddles/  George,"  said  the 
colonel,  who  stood  in  the  doorway  appearing  to 
notice  nothing,  but  in  reality  keeping  a  close  watch 
over  the  movements  of  the  men  to  see  that  every 
thing  was  done  in  accordance  with  the  "regula 
tions."  "  You  are  to  go  with  Clinton,  you  know. 
Are  you  ready?" 

"I  will  be  in  half  a  minute,"  replied  the 
boy. 

The  stirring  notes  of  the  bugle,  or  the  prospect 
of  soon  meeting  face  to  face  some  of  the  blood 
thirsty  savages  who  had  devastated  Mr.  Went- 
worth's  home,  must  have  excited  George,  so  that 
he  did  not  readily  lay  his  hand  upon  the  articles 
he  wanted,  for  considerably  more  than  half  a 


182  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

minute  elapsed  before  he  again  appeared  with 
his  Winchester  on  his  back,  a  bag  of  cartridges 
slung  over  his  shoulder  and  a  revolver  buckled 
about  his  waist.  He  ran  to  the  stable,  and  had 
just  put  the  saddle  and  bridle  on  his  horse  when 
another  call  of  the  bugle  was  heard.  This  was 
aTo  horse,"  and  in  obedience  the  troopers  left 
the  stable  and  fell  into  line  on  the  parade,  each 
man  standing  at  the  head  of  his  nag.  George 
did  not  belong  in  line — in  fact,  he  did  not  know 
where  he  did  belong — so  he  kept  his  eye  on  Cap 
tain  Clinton,  and  when  he  saw  that  officer  mount 
the  horse  which  an  orderly  brought  up  to  him, 
George  at  once  placed  himself  in  his  own  saddle, 
and,  riding  up  to  the  steps  where  the  colonel 
was  standing,  awaited  further  developments. 

"  Prepare  to  mount !"  commanded  Captain  Clin 
ton  as  he  rode  up  in  front  of  his  own  troop,  and 
the  words  were  immediately  repeated  by  the  other 
two  company  commanders. 

In  obedience  to  this  order  each  trooper  placed 
his  left  foot  in  the  stirrup,  and  at  the  command 
"  Mount !"  which  was  given  soon  after,  they  all 
rose  from  the  ground  as  if  moved  by  the  same 
set  of  springs,  and  seated  themselves  in  the  saddles 


WHAT    GEORGE    KNEW    ABOUT   TRAILING.    183 

at  the  same  instant,  ^so  man  was  a  half  a  second 
ahead  or  behind  his  companions.  The  three  com 
pany  officers  then  rode  back  to  the  colonel  to  re 
port  that  their  respective  companies  were  ready  to 
march,  and  after  they  had  listened  to  some  verbal 
instructions  from  him,  they  bade  him  and  the  rest 
of  the  officers  good-bye,  the  bugle  sounded  the 
"  Advance/'  and  the  troopers,  moving  four  abreast — 
or,  as  a  soldier  would  have  expressed  it,  in  column 
of  fours — rode  out  of  the  gate.  There  they  found 
Wentworth  seated  on  a  wiry  little  mustang,  which 
looked  altogether  too  small  to  carry  so  heavy  a 
rider.  Recognizing  George,  who  rode  by  Captain 
Clinton's  side,  he  gave  him  a  friendly  nod,  and 
without  saying  a  word  turned  his  horse  and  rode 
away,  the  troopers  following  a  short  distance  in 
his  rear. 

When  soldiers  are  on  the  march  and  in  no  dan- 
g^r  of  immediate  contact  with  the  enemy,  they  are 
anowed  numerous  privileges,  of  which  the  troopers 
composing  this  particular  scou ting-party  were  not 
slow  to  avail  themselves.  Some  of  them  drew 
their  pipes  from  their  pockets  and  filled  up  for  a 
smoke,  others  threw  one  leg  over  the  horns  of  their 
saddles  and  rode  sideways,  "  woman-fashion,"  and 


184  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

conversation  became  general  all  along  the  line. 
But  this  talking  and  smoking  did  not  interfere 
with  their  marching,  for  they  rode  rapidly,  and 
made  such  good  progress  that  by  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  they  were  within  sight  of  the  ruins 
of  Mr.  Wentworth's  ranche.  And  a  sorry  sight 
it  was,  too.  Nothing  but  a  pile  of  blackened  sun- 
dried  bricks  remained  to  mark  the  spot  on  which  « 
few  days  ago  had  stood  a  happy  home.  Household 
furniture  of  every  description  was  scattered  around, 
but  every  article  had  been  smashed  beyond  all  hope 
of  repair.  What  the  savages  had  not  been  able  to 
carry  away  with  them  they  had  ruthlessly  destroy 
ed.  George  did  not  wonder  that  Mr.  Wentworth 
felt  vindictive.  The  man  did  not  have  a  word  to 
say,  but  the  expression  that  came  to  his  face  as  he 
sat  in  his  saddle  gazing  sorrowfully  at  the  ruins  of 
his  home  spoke  volumes. 

When  the  troopers  came  within  sight  of  the 
ranche.  George  discovered  that  there  was  a  horse 
staked  out  near  the  ruins,  and  that  he  had  an 
owner  in  the  person  of  a  tall,  gaunt  man,  who  rose 
from  the  ground  and  rubbed  his  eyes  as  if  he  had 
just  awakened  from  a  sound  sleep.  His  dress  was 
an  odd  mixture  of  the  civilized  and  savage.  He 


WHAT   GEORGE    KNEW    ABOUT   TRAILING.    185 

wore  a  pair  of  infantryman's  trousers,  a  ranch e- 
man's  red  shirt,  and  an  Indian  blanket  of  the 
same  color  was  thrown  over  his  shoulders.  His 
head  was  covered  by  a  Mexican  sombrero,  and  his 
feet  were  protected  by  a  pair  of  gaudily-ornament 
ed  moccasins.  While  waiting  for  the  troopers  to 
come  up  he  filled  a  short  black  pipe  and  lighted  it 
at  the  smouldering  fire  beside  which  he  had  been 
sleeping. 

"That's  Mountain  Mose,"  said  Captain  Clinton 
in  reply  to  George's  inquiring  look.  "He  no 
doubt  gave  himself  the  name  because  he  has  lived 
on  the  Plains  all  his  life.  He  is  a  lazy,  worthless 
vagabond,  but  what  he  doesn't  know  about  Indians 
isn't  worth  knowing.  If  he  would  only  wake  up 
and  display  a  little  energy,  he  would  be  invaluable 
as  a  scout." 

"  What  is  he  doing  here  ?"  asked  George.  "  He 
seems  to  be  waiting  for  us." 

"Yes,  I  expected  to  find  him  at  this  place.  He 
has  been  out  to  take  a  look  at  the  trail  of  that  war- 
party  who  did  all  this  damage. — Well,  Mose,  any 
news  ?" 

"Not  much,  cap,"  drawled  the  scout.  "You 
put  straight  for  the  Staked  Plains,  an'  if  you  are 


186  GEOEGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

lively  enough  to  ketch  'em  anywhar,  you'll  ketch 
'em  thar." 

"  Then  we  shall  never  get  the  cattle/'  said  the 
'japtain.  "  If  the  Indians  are  going  in  there,  they 
intend  that  the  stock  shall  die  of  thirst  rather  than 
fall  into  our  hands." 

"  That's  jest  their  little  game,  cap,"  said  the 
scout,  puffing  at  his  pipe.  "You  see,  they'll  keep 
along  on  the  edge  of  the  desert,  so't  they  can  have 
grass  an'  water  in  plenty,  an'  if  you  don't  pester 
'em  none  they  won't  go  into  the  Staked  Plains  at 
all ;  but  if  you  push  'em  hard  they'll  run  the  crit 
ters  in  thar  an'  leave  'em,  hopin'  that  you  will 
run  your  bosses  an'  men  to  death  while  you  are 
huntin'  'em  up.  You  won't  never  see  the  young 
ones,  nuther ;  an'  I  don't  see  why  the  colonel  sent 
out  sich  a  party  as  this  so  late  in  the  day,  anyhow. 
We'd  oughter  been  a  hundred  miles  along  that  thar 
trail  by  sun-up  this  mornin'." 

George  felt  the  deepest  sympathy  for  Mr.  Went- 
worth,  who  listened  attentively  to  what  the  scout 
had  to  say,  although  he  said  nothing  in  return. 
His  almost  overwhelming  sorrow  showed  itself 
in  hi-?  face,  but  did  not  take  the  form  of  words. 

As  Captain  Clinton  had  made  no  halt  for  din- 


WHAT   GEORGE    KNEW    ABOUT   TRAILING.    187 

ner,  the  colonel  having  instructed  him  to  find  and 
receive  the  report  of  the  scout  as  soon  as  possible, 
he  decided  to  stop  here  and  allow  his  men  an  hour 
or  two  for  rest  and  refreshment.  Giving  their 
horses  into  the  charge  of  some  of  the  troopers, 
lie  and  his  two  company  commanders  walked 
away  with  the  scout,  while  George  rode  off  to 
hunt  up  Bob  Owens.  He  staked  his  own  horse 
out  beside  Bob's,  and  then  walked  back  with  him 
to  take  a  nearer  view  of  the  ruins. 

"  How  do  you  suppose  that  that  man  in  the 
sombrero  and  moccasins  knows  that  the  Indians 
who  did  this  have  fled  toward  the  Staked  Plains  ?" 
asked  Bob  after  he  and  his  friend  had  spent  some 
moments  in  silent  contemplation  of  the  savages' 
handiwork.  "  He  certainly  hasn't  had  time  enough 
to  follow  the  trail  clear  to  those  plains." 

"Of  course  not/'  answered  George.  "But  he 
probably  followed  it  far  enough  to  see  that  it 
leads  in  that  direction." 

"  Well,  explain  another  thing  while  you  are 
about  it,"  continued  Bob.  "  I  have  been  out  on 
a  scout  before  now  after  the  hostiles,  following  a 
trail  that  was  as  plain  as  the  nose  on  one's  face, 
when  all  at  once  the  scout  would  leave  that  trail 


188  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

and  strike  off  over  the  prairie  where  there  wasn't 
a  sign  of  a  pony-track." 

"He  was  taking  a  short  cut  on  the  Indians/' 
observed  George. 

"  I  know  that,  and  sooner  or  later  he  would 
bring  us  back  to  that  trail  again ;  and  sometimes 
we  would  have  gained  so  much  on  the  hostiles — 
who  had  perhaps  been  twenty-four  hours'  journey 
ahead  of  us  when  we  left  the  trail — that  we  would 
find  their  camp-fires  still  smoking.  Now,  what 
I  want  to  know  is  this :  How  did  that  scout  know 
that  those  Indians  were  going  to  that  particular 
spring  or  creek  or  ravine  near  which  we  found 
the  trail?" 

"  Have  you  ever  hunted  foxes  ?"  asked  George. 

"I  should  say  I  had.  When  I  left  home  I 
owned  a  hound  that  couldn't  be  beaten  in  run 
ning  them,  for  he  was  posted  in  all  their  tricks. 
But  what  have  foxes  to  do  with  hostile  In 
dians  ?" 

"1  am  simply  going  to  use  the  tricks  of  the 
one,  which  you  understand,  to  explain  the  tricks 
of  the  other,  which  you  do  not  understand,"  re 
plied  George.  "  They  are  a  good  deal  alike  in 
some  respects.  A  fox,  when  he  finds  himself  hard 


WHAT   GEORGE    KNEW    ABOUT   TRAILING.    189 

pressed,  will  resort  to  all  sorts  of  manoeuvres  to 
throw  the  hounds  off  the  trail.  One  of  his  tricks 
is  to  run  over  a  newly-ploughed  field,  if  he  can 
find  one,  where  the  scent  will  not  lie.  What  would 
that  brag  hound  of  yours  do  in  such  a  case?  Would 
he  waste  valuable  time  in  running  about  over  that 
field  trying  to  pick  up  a  scent  that  wasn't  there  ?" 

"No,  he  wouldn't.  He  would  run  around  the 
outside  of  the  field  until  he  found  the  place  where 
the  fox  left  it." 

"Exactly.  Now,  an  Indian  is  just  as  full  of 
tricks  as  a  fox  is.  When  he  is  afraid  of  pursuit 
he  will  break  his  party  up  into  small  bands,  and, 
although  the  trails  made  by  these  bands  will  lead 
in  different  directions  at  the  start,  you  will  find, 
if  you  break  up  your  own  party  and  follow  them 
for  a  while,  that  they  all  tend  toward  the  same 
points,  where  these  little  bands  will  all  be  reunited. 
Of  course  each  of  the  trails  wijl  be  obliterated 
as  much  as  possible.  Some  of  them  will  lead  over 
rocky  ground,  where  the  hoof  of  a  pony  will 
leave  no  imprint ;  others  will  come  to  an  abrupt 
termination  on  the  bank  of  some  stream;  and 
others  still  will  end  at  a  place  where  the  prairie 
has  been  burned  over.  When  these  war-parties 


190  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

break  up  in  the  way  I  have  described,  a  place  of 
meeting  is  always  agreed  on  beforehand  ;  and  if 
a  scout  understands  his  business  he  can  tell  pretty 
nearly  where  that  place  is,  for  it  is  sure  to  be  on 
the  straightest  and  most  direct  route  to  the  agencj 
if  the  raiders  belong  to  a  '  friendly '  tribe,  or  to 
their  principal  village  if  they  belong  to  a  tribe 
that  is  openly  hostile.  If  these  Kiowas  take  to 
the  Staked  Plains,  they  will  probably  enter  it 
directly  north  of  here,  at  its  widest  part.  Then 
this  Mountain  Mose,  if  he  is  the  scout  he  pretends 
to  be,  will  leave  their  trail  to  take  care  of  itself 
and  draw  a  bee-line  for  the  nearest  water ;  and  it 
will  take  thirty  hours'  rapid  inarching  to  reach  it, 
too." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  Have  you  ever  been 
there?" 

"  No,  bat  my  herdsman  Zeke  has ;  and  he  has 
described  the  course  to  be  followed  so  minutely 
that  I  can  go  there  any  day  the  sun  shines  or  any 
night  when  the  stars  shine." 

Bob  did  not  say  anything,  but  his  friend  noticed 
that  he  looked  a  little  incredulous. 

"  It  is  not  so  difficult  as  it  appears  to  be  at  first 
glance,"  George  hastened  to  say.  "  Why,  when 


WHAT   GEORGE   KNEW    ABOUT   TRAILING.    191 

a  party  of  young  Indians  want  to  go  into  a  strange 
country  for  plunder  and  scalps,  they  gather  around 
some  old  warrior,  who  traces  on  the  ground  the  di 
rection  in  which  they  must  travel  in  order  to  reach 
that  country,  describes  all  the  water-courses  and 
locates  the  principal  landmarks  to  be  found  along 
the  route;  and  with  nothing  but  these  verbal  in 
structions  to  guide  them,  these  little  rascals,  some 
of  them  not  more  than  thirteen  or  fourteen  years 
of  age,  will  make  a  journey  of  hundreds  of  miles 
through  a  region  that  none  of  them  have  ever 
visited  before.  My  bump  of  locality  is  not  so 
large  as  an  Indian's,  but  still  I  have  a  pretty  good 
memory,  and  I  have  travelled  many  a  mile  through 
a  strange  country  without  going  a  step  out  of  my 
way." 

"  What  sort  of  a  looking  place  is  Staked  Plains, 
anyhow  ?"  asked  Bob.  "  I  have  heard  so  many  ter 
rible  stories  told  about  it  that  I  am  almost  afraid 
of  it.  What  gave  it  that  name?  Are  there  any 
stakes  there?" 

Bob  was  inclined  to  be  facetious  when  he  said 
this,  and  consequently  he  was  not  a  little  aston 
ished  to  hear  George  say  in  reply, 

"  There  may  not  be  any  stakes  there  now,  but 


192  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

there  used  to  be.  It  is  a  terrible  place,  and  many 
a  wagon-train  has  left  its  bones  there.  It  is  big 
enough  to  get  lost  in,  for  it  lacks  only  about  six 
thousand  square  •miles  of  being  as  large  as  the  State 
of  New  York ;  and  although  it  is  not  exactly  a 
desert,  as  we  understand  the  word,  it  is  a  barren 
waste,  where  nothing  living  permanently  resides 
on  account  of  the  great  scarcity  of  water.  A  long 
time  ago  the  Mexican  traders  marked  out  a  route 
with  stakes  across  the  plain  where  they  found  a 
few  small  fountains,  and  that  was  what  gave  it  the 
name  it  bears.  Zeke  says  it  is  a  perfect  bake-oven. 
There  are  no  trees  to  shelter  you,  no  grass  for  your 
horses,  no  fuel  to  build  a  fire  with,  and  an  almost 
unearthly  silence  broods  over  it.  I  am  not  super 
stitious,  but  Zeke  always  speaks  of  it  with  a  shud 
der,  and  I  tell  you  I  don't  want  to  see  any  place 
that  he  is  afraid  of." 

The  two  friends  continued  to  talk  in  this  way 
until  Captain  Clinton's  cook  came  up  and  told 
George  that  dinner  was  ready.  They  rested  half 
an  hour  after  the  meal  was  over,  and  then  set  out 
again,  Mountain  Mose  leading  the  way  and  Mr. 
Wentworth,  as  before,  riding  by  himself.  As 
George  was  a  sort  of  supernumerary,  he  was  under 


WHAT   GEORGE    KNEW   ABOUT   TRAILING.    193 

little  restraint,  and  consequently  he  rode  where  he 
pleased — sometimes  in  company  with  the  scout, 
sometimes  beside  Captain  Clinton,  and  then  fell 
back  to  exchange  a  few  ideas  with  Bob.  He  did 
not,  however,  waste  much  time  with  the  scout. 
The  latter  was  talkative  enough  until  he  learned 
that  George  held  the  same  position  that  he  did, 
and  then  he  froze  up  at  once. 

"  You're  a  pretty-looking  scout,  you  be !"  he  ex 
claimed,  moving  his  eye  over  the  boy's  trim  fig 
ure.  "  Do  you  reckon  you  could  tell  the  trail  of 
a  Kiovva  from  the  track  of  a  coyote?" 

"  Yes,  I  reckon  I  could,"  answered  George  with 
a  smile.  "  But  you  need  not  be  jealous  of  me,  for 
I  shall  not  interfere  with  you  in  any  way.  I  came 
to  the  post  to  hunt  Greasers,  and  not  to  trail  In 
dians." 

"Oh,  you  did,  eh?  So  you're  the  chap  that's 
goin'  to  show  the  boys  the  way  acrost  the  Rio,  be 
you  ?" 

"  I  am,"  replied  George. 

"Well,  all  I've   got  to  say  is,   that  them   that 

follers  you  is  fools.     I   thought   mebbe   you    was 

agoin'  to   poke   your  nose  into  my  business ;  and 

that   is  something  I  won't  put  up  with  from  no- 

13 


194  GEORGE    AT   THE   FOKT. 

body.  If  thar's  anything  I  do  understand,  it's 
Indians." 

This  was  true,  but  it  sometimes  happens  that  luck 
is  not  on  the  side  of  those  who  know  the  most. 
The  scout  would  have  given  anything  he  possessed 
if  he  had  been  fortunate  enough  to  perform  the  ex 
ploit  that  George  assisted  in  performing  before 
two  days  more  had  passed  over  his  head. 

Bob  Owens  did  not  fail  to  notice  that  there  was 
not  the  least  semblance  of  a  trail  to  be  seen  any 
where.  They  had  left  it  at  the  ruins  of  Mr. 
Went  worth's  ranch  o,  and  he  waited  with  no  little 
impatience  to  see  where  they  would  pick  it  up 
again.  He  found  out  about  sunset,  for  at  that 
time  the  column  reached  the  banks  of  a  small 
water-course,  and  there  they  struck  the  trail,  which 
was  so  broad  and  plain  that  it  could  be  followed 
at  a  gallop.  George,  in  company  with  some  of  the 
officers  and  the  scout,  spent  a  few  minutes  in  look 
ing  it  over,  and  then  rode  back  to  report  the  re 
sult  of  his  observations  to  Bob  Owens. 

"  There  are  not  many  warriors  in  the  party," 
said  he,  "  but  they  are  so  well  supplied  with  horses 
that  they  can  have  a  fresh  mount  every  day  if 
they  want  it." 


WHAT   GEORGE   KNEW   ABOUT   TRAILING.    195 

"How  do  you  know  that?"  asked  Bob. 

"Because  I  saw  their  tracks,"  replied  George. 

"  That's  not  explicit  enough.  I  suppose  you 
did  see  the  tracks  of  the  horses,  and  so  did  I ;  but 
how  in  the  world  is  a  fellow  going  to  tell  wheth 
er  or  not  those  horses  had  riders  on  their  backs? 
That's  something  that  can't  be  done." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure  of  that.  Look  here !  Would 
you  believe  it  if  I  should  tell  you  that  those  In 
dians  passed  along  here  after  daylight  on  Thurs 
day  morning?" 

"No,  I  wouldn't,"  replied  Bob  bluntly.  He 
could  not,  for  the  life  of  him,  understand  how 
anybody  could  draw  such  conclusions  as  these  by 
simply  looking  at  the  print  of  a  pony's  hoofs  in 
the  grass ;  and  if  he  had  not  been  so  well  acquaint 
ed  with  George  he  would  have  inclined  to  the  be 
lief  that  his  friend  was  "spreading  it  on"  in  order 
to  make  himself  out  a  wonderful  trailer.  "  I  can't 
make  head  or  tail  of  this  business,  and  I  don't 
believe  you  can,  either;  that  is,  I  mean  I  don't 
see  how  you  can." 

"  Well,  listen  while  I  explain,"  said  George 
good-naturedly.  "In  the  first  place,  I  noticed, 
Avhile  we  were  passing  through  that  belt  of  post- 


196  GEOKGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

oaks  back  there,  that  some  of  the  horses  left  a  very 
devious  trail,  passing  through  thick  bushes  and  un 
der  trees  whose  branches  were  so  low  that  they  would 
have  swept  a  rider  out  of  his  saddle  if  he  had  not 
been  on  the  alert  to  avoid  them.  Those  horses  were 
all  loose." 

"  Perhaps  not,"  exclaimed  Bob.  "  The  Indians 
might  have  passed  through  there  when  it  was  too 
dark  to  see  where  they  were  going." 

"  I  know  they  might,  but  they  didn't,  as  I  shall 
presently  show  you.  The  horses  which  made  those 
crooked  trails  were  not  mustangs.  They  were 
American  horses,  and  their  presence  proves  anoth 
er  thing  that  I  didn't  think  to  speak  of  before ;  and 
that  is,  that  the  Indians  raided  other  ranches  be 
sides  Mr.  Wentworth's.  How  do  I  know  that  they 
were  American  horses  ?  Because  their  tracks  were 
larger  than  a  pony's,  and  some  of  them  were  shod. 
The  tracks  made  by  the  mustangs  led  through  the 
open  part  of  the  timber,  where  there  were  no  bushes 
and  low  branches;  and  this  is  one  proof  that  the  In 
dians  did  not  pass  through  there  in  the  night-time. 
If  they  had,  they  could  not  have  kept  in  such  open 
ground.  I  found  further  proof  that  these  mustangs 
were  all  mounted  by  noticing  that  they  did  not  stop 


WHAT   GEORGE    KNEW    ABOUT   TRAILING.    197 

to  graze,  as  the  loose  horses  did,  being  kept  in  con 
stant  motion  by  their  riders.  What  do  you  think 
now?"  asked  George,  seeing  that  Bob  began  to  open 
his  eyes. 

"  It  reads  like  a  book,  don't  it?"  was  Bob's  reply. 
tf  But  you  have  forgotten  one  very  important  thing. 
You  said  that  the  Indians  passed  through  those  post- 
oaks  early  on  Thursday  morning.  How  do  you  know 
that  they  didn't  pass  late  on  Thursday  afternoon  or 
early  on  Friday  morning?" 

"  You  think  you  have  got  me  there,  don't  you  ? 
Well,  you  haven't.  If  there  are  '  sermons  in  stones 
and  books  in  running  brooks,'  as  the  poet  tells  us 
there  are,  what  is  the  reason  that  the  print  of  an  In 
dian  pony's  hoof  may  not  contain  a  page  of  infor 
mation  that  will  prove  to  be  useful  to  him  who  has 
the  skill  to  read  it?  On  Wednesday  night  there  was 
a  very  heavy  dew,  if  you  remember." 

"  I  don't  remember,"  replied  Bob  ;  "  I  never  pay 
any  attention  to  such  things." 

"  But  you  must  pay  attention  to  such  things,  and 
a  good  deal  of  it  too,  if  you  are  going  to  be  a  Plains 
man.  During  the  last  two  nights  there  has  been  no 
do\v  at  all.  I  noticed  that  some  blades  of  grass, 
which  had  been  pressed  down  by  the  hoofs  of  the 


198  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

horses  and  cattle,  were  covered  with  sand  which 
stuck  fast  to  them,  having  been  dried  on.  This 
told  me  that  the  tracks  were  made  while  the  grass 
was  wet,  and  that  the  Indians  had  passed  that  way 
early  on  Thursday  morning,  or  before  the  sun  had 
risen  high  enough  to  dry  oif  the  dew.  There  were 
not  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  of  them.  I  didn't 
have  time  to  see  just  how  many,  but  they  have 
stolen  over  a  thousand  head  of  steers  and  horses. 
Now,  remember  all  I  have  told  you,  and  see  if  I 
haven't  made  a  pretty  good  guess." 

"Do  you  think  we  shall  catch  them?"  asked 
Bob. 

"  Well,"  answered  George  slowly,  "  raiding  In 
dians  have  been  overtaken  and  neatly  whipped  be 
fore  now,  but  I  have  always  believed  that  it  was 
more  by  good  luck  than  good  management.  These 
fellows  will  begin  to  show  their  tactics  as  soon  as 
they  find  out  that  they  are  pursued.  Then  they 
will  probably  leave  behind  a  few  of  the  best  mount 
ed  of  the  band  to  attract  our  attention  and  lead  us 
away  from  the  others,  who  will  make  all  haste  to 
take  the  prisoners  and  the  stolon  stock  to  a  place 
of  safety.  If  we  bite  at  that  bait,  we  shall  lose 
everything,  for  as  soon  as  the  decoys  have  led  us 


WHAT   GEORGE    KNEW    ABOUT   TRAILING.    199 

as  far  out  of  our  way  as  they  care  to  have  us  go, 
they  will  disappear  all  of  a  sudden,  and  we  shall 
never  see  them  again.  If  we  keep  on  after  the 
main  body,  and  travel  fast  enough  to  gain  on  them, 
they  will  drop  the  stock  in  the  desert,  break  up  into 
squads  of  twos  and  threes,  and  we  shall  have  noth 
ing  to  do  but  to  turn  about  and  go  home  again/'7 

The  Indians  did  manoeuvre  pretty  nearly  as  George 
said  they  would,  but  Captain  Clinton  and  his  scout- 
ing-party  did  not  go  back  to  the  fort  until  they 
had  accomplished  something. 


CHAPTER    X. 

HOW   GEORGE  SAVED   THE   CAMP. 

rnHE  troopers  went  into  camp  about  midnight, 
having  been  nineteen  hours  in  the  saddle, 
during  which  time  they  had  marched  more  than 
seventy  miles.  They  halted  on  the  bank  of  a 
small  stream  near  a  ford  over  which  the  Indians 
had  passed  during  their  retreat.  The  trail  was 
plain,  and  some  of  the  troopers,  who  did  not  know 
quite  as  much  about  trailing  as  they  thought  they 
did,  declared  that  they  were  close  upon  the  heels 
of  the  raiders. 

"  How  is  that,  George  ?"  asked  Bob  Owens,  who 
had  been  detailed  as  one  of  the  corporals  of  the 
guard.  "  Some  of  the  boys  say  that  if  we  should 
follow  the  Indians  for  an  hour  or  two  longer  we 
would  be  within  sight  of  their  camp-fires." 

"  What  makes  them  think  so  ?"  asked  George. 

"  Because  they  have  found  tracks  with  the  sand 

200 


HOW  GEORGE  SAVED  THE  CAMP.     201 

still  running  into  them.  Is  that  one  of  the  signs 
by  which  to  tell  the  age  of  a  trail  ?" 

"  Under  some  circumstances,  yes ;  in  the  present 
case,  no.  You  could  tell  the  age  of  a  trail  in  that 
way  if  the  ground  around  it  had  not  been  disturb 
ed.  This  country  about  here  is  all  quicksand,  and 
you  can  take  your  stand  almost  anywhere  along  the 
banks  of  this  stream,  and  by  jumping  up  and  down 
shake  the  ground  for  ten  feet  on  all  sides  of  you. 
When  our  heavy  column  crossed  the  ford  and 
climbed  this  bank,  it  shook  the  earth,  and  that 
was  what  set  the  sand  to  running  down  into  the 
tracks." 

"  I  declare !"  exclaimed  Bob,  gazing  admiringly 
at  his  friend ;  "  is  there  anything  a  trailer  isn't 
obliged  to  know?" 

"  If  he  wants  to  be  an  expert  he  must  keep  his 
eyes  and  ears  wide  open,  and  pay  strict  attention 
to  little  things  which  almost  anybody  else  would 
consider  to  be  beneath  his  notice.  It  is  wonderful 
what  proficiency  a  person  who  has  a  talent  for  such 
things  can  acquire  by  practice.  For  example,  this 
scout  of  ours  could  learn  more  about  a  trail  in  two 
minutes  than  I  could  in  an  hour.  But  he  is  fear 
fully  jealous,"  added  George  with  a  laugh,  "  and 


202  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

you  ought  to  have  seen  how  mad  I  made  him  while 
we  were  passing  through  that  belt  of  post-oaks  this 
afternoon.  Seeing  that  Captain  Clinton  was  wait 
ing  very  impatiently  for  information,  I  volunteered 
the  statement  that  the  hostiles  had  passed  that  way 
early  on  Thursday  morning,  and  that  Mr.  Went- 
worth  was  not  the  only  one  who  had  suffered  at 
their  hands.  The  captain  asked  Mose  what  he 
thought  of  that,  and  Mose  replied,  '  I  think  jest 
this  here,  cap:  if  that  kid  is  agoin'  to  lead  this 
yere  party  he  had  better  say  so,  an7  I  will  go  back 
to  the  post.  He's  a'most  too  fresh,  an'  he'd  better 
go  back  in  the  woods  an'  practise  at  holdin'  his 
chin.'  But  he  did  not  contradict  my  statement, 
and  that  was  all  the  evidence  I  needed  to  prove 
that  I  was  right  in  what  I  said.  The  tracks  here 
on  the  bank  are  not  as  fresh  as  you  suppose.  If 
they  were  wet,  it  would  be  a  sign  that  the  In 
dians  crossed  the  ford  since  three  o'clock  this 
afternoon." 

"Why  since  three  o'clock?"  asked  Bob. 

"  Because  the  sun  went  under  a  cloud  at  that 
hour,  and  hasn't  showed  himself  since  to  dry  off 
the  water  that  the  horses  and  cattle  brought  out 
of  the  stream  on  their  feet  and  legs." 


HOW    GEORGE   SAVED   THE   CAMP.  203 

While  the  two  boys  were  talking  in  this  way 
George  was  getting  ready  to  go  to  bed.  The  camp 
was  located  at  the  foot  of  a  perpendicular  bluff 
which  was  perhaps  twenty  feet  in  height.  On  the 
top  of  this  bluff  the  horses  were  picketed,  and  be 
yond  them  were  the  sentinels  who  were  to  look  out 
for  the  safety  of  the  animals  and  keep  guard  over 
their  slumbering  companions.  Everything  outside 
of  the  circle  of  light  made  by  the  camp-fires  was 
concealed  by  the  most  intense  darkness.  Not  even 
a  star  twinkled  in  the  sky.  George  spread  his 
blankets  in  a  sheltered  nook  at  the  foot  of  the 
bluff  and  courted  the  "  drowsy  god "  in  vain. 
He  was  tired  and  his  eyes  were  heavy,  but  he 
could  not  go  to  sleep.  After  rolling  and  tossing 
about  for  nearly  two  hours,  he  became  too  nervous 
to  remain  inactive  any  longer,  so  he  slung  his  rifle 
on  his  back  and  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  bluff, 
where  he  found  Bob  Owens  and  two  other  non 
commissioned  officers  sitting  beside  a  fire  and  con 
versing  in  low  tones.  At  another  fire  a  short  dis 
tance  away  sat  Lieutenant  Earle,  the  officer  of  the 
guard,  nodding  over  his  pipe. 

"  Hallo !"  exclaimed  Bob,  "  what  brought  you 
out  here?" 


204  GEORGE   AT  THE   FOKT. 

"Oh,  I  want  somebody  to  talk  to,"  replied 
George,  throwing  himself  on  the  ground  by  his 
friend's  side,  "  Somehow,  I  can't  sleep,  and  that's 
a  new  thing  for  me." 

"  You  are  not  afraid  of  the  hostiles,  are  you  ?" 
asked  a  corporal  from  the  other  side  of  the  fire. 

"  Oh  no,  because  I  know  that  we  have  nothing  to 
fear  from  them  on  such  a  night  as  this.  If  there 
were  any  hostiles  in  the  neighborhood,  they  might 
slip  up  and  steal  a  few  horses,  if  they  thought  they 
could  get  away  with  their  booty,  but  they  wouldn't 
attack  a  party  of  the  size  of  ours  and  bring  on  an 
open  fight.  It  is  too  dark." 

"  Why,  that  is  just  the  reason  they  would  attack 
us,"  exclaimed  the  corporal,  who,  although  he  had 
often  been  on  a  scout,  had  never  participated  in  a 
battle.  "They  rely  upon  the  darkness  to  cover 
their  movements  and  to  assist  them  in  effecting  a 
surprise.  I  have  read  it  a  hundred  times." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  replied  George — "  story-book  Indians 
make  attacks  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night,  but 
live  Plains  Indians  don't.  The  reason  for  it  is 
this :  They  believe  that  they  will  go  into  the  hap 
py  hunting-grounds  with  just  the  same  surround 
ings  that  attend  their  departure  from  this  world. 


HOW   GEORGE   SAVED   THE   CAMP.  205 

If  an  Indian  is  crippled  or  blind  or  ill,  he  will  be 
ju/=t  the  same  Indian  in  the  spirit-land.  If  he 
dies  from  the  effects  of  disease,  he  will  suffer  from 
that  disease  for  ever ;  but  if  he  is  killed  in  battle 
on  a  pleasant  day,  and  while  he  is  in  the  possession 
of  all  his  strength  and  faculties,  he  will  go  straight 
to  the  Indian's  heaven  under  the  most  favorable 
circumstances." 

"Suppose  he  is  killed  on  a  rainy  day?"  said  the 
corporal  on  the  other  side  of  the  fire. 

"Or  a  snowy  one?"  chimed  in  a  sergeant. 

"Then  he  is  doomed  to  paddle  through  rain  or 
snow  through  all  eternity,"  replied  George ;  "  and 
that  he  doesn't  like  either  is  proved  by  the  fact 
that  he  will  not  stir  out  of  camp  while  it  is  raining 
or  snowing  if  he  can  help  it.  If  an  Indian  is  hang 
ed,  like  Captain  Jack  or  those  thirty-seven  warriors 
who  were  executed  at  Mankato  in  1863  for  parti 
cipation  in  the  Sioux  massacre,  he  loses  all  chance 
o  ever  seeing  the  happy  hunting-grounds.  So  he 
does  if  he  is  scalped ;  and  that's  the  reason  Indians 
make  such  efforts  to  carry  off  the  body  of  a  fallen 
comrade.  A  Plains  Indian  never  willingly  goes 
into  a  fight  during  the  night.  If  he  did,  he  would 
make  it  much  warmer  for  us  here  on  the  frontier 


206  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

than  he  does  now.  He  may  make  use  of  a  night 
like  this  to  get  into  position  for  an  attack,  but  if 
left  to  himself  he  will  not  raise  the  war-whoop  be 
fore  daylight,  because  he  believes  that  if  he  is  kill 
ed  during  the  dark  he  will  be  condemned  to  pass 
all  eternity  in  darkness." 

"  Well,  that  is  something  I  never  knew  before," 
said  the  corporal,  "  and  I  have  been  on  the  Plains 
a  good  many  years.  Now  that  I  think  of  it — " 

"  Corporal  of  the  guard,  No.  7 !"  came  the  call 
through  the  dense  darkness,  whereupon  Bob  Owens 
jumped  to  his  feet. 

"What's  the  trouble  out  there,  I  wonder?" 
said  he. 

"  Go  and  see,"  replied  the  sergeant  with  a  sleepy 
yawn  :  "  that's  the  only  way  to  find  out." 

"  Sergeant,"  said  the  officer  of  the  guard,  "  if 
those  horses  have  had  grass  enough,  have  them 
brought  in  and  tied  to  the  stable-lines.  Look  well 
to  their  fastenings." 

"  Corporal  of  the  guard,  No.  7 !"  came  the  call 
again  ;  and  this  time  it  was  uttered  in  a  louder  and 
more  earnest  tone. 

Bob,  who  was  walking  toward  post  No.  7  with 
a  very  deliberate  step,  now  broke  into  a  run,  and 


HOW  GEOEGE  SAVED  THE  CAMP.     207 

George  jumped  up  and  followed  him.  A  fortunate 
thing  it  was  for  that  camp  and  its  inmates  that  he 
did  so.  His  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  ways 
of  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Plains  enabled 
him  to  prevent  a  catastrophe  which  would  certainly 
have  resulted  in  a  serious  loss  of  life,  and  brought 
Captain  Clinton's  scout  to  an  inglorious  end  then 
and  there.  When  he  and  the  corporal  reached  post 
No.  7  they  found  the  sentry  on  duty  there  lying 
flat  on  his  stomach  and  gazing  earnestly  toward 
the  horizon. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Sprague  ?"  demanded  Bob. 

"  I  don't  know,  I  am  sure/'  replied  the  sentry. 
"  If  the  hostiles  had  made  up  their  minds  to  pay 
us  a  visit,  they  wouldn't  make  such  a  racket  as  that, 
would  they?  There  !  don't  you  hear  it?  Some 
thing's  coming  this  way,  I  tell  you,  and  coming  on 
a  keen  jump,  too." 

The  three  held  their  breath  and  listened  intently. 
A  second  later  the  breeze  brought  to  their  ears  the 
sound  that  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  sentry 
—a  deep,  rumbling  sound,  faint  and  far  off,  but  in 
creasing  perceptibly  in  volume.  It  resembled  the 
constant  muttering  of  distant  thunder,  but  they  all 
knew  it  was  not  that.  Bob's  face  brightened  at  once, 


208  GEORGE    AT   THE    FOET. 

but  George's  grew  pale.  The  corporal  did  not  know 
the  danger  that  threatened  them,  but  his  companion 
did;  he  had  heard  something  like  it  before.  He 
had  heard  it  on  the  night  that  Fletcher  and  his  band 
of  raiders  stampeded  his  stock,  and  he  had  thrown 
himself  into  an  old  buffalo- wallow  and  allowed 
three  hundred  frantic  cattle  to  gallop  over  his 
head. 

"Why,  it  must  be  cavalry  from  Fort  Tyler," 
said  Bob  at  length.— "But  I'll  tell  you  what's  a 
fact,  boys,"  he  added,  as  a  fresh  gust  of  wind 
brought  the  sound  more  plainly  to  his  ears :  "  there 
must  be  lots  of  them,  for  I  never  heard  such  a  roar 
of  hoofs  before.  They  are  coming  this  way,  too. 
I  hope  they'll  not  run  over  us." 

"Well,  they  will  run  over  us,"  said  George, 
speaking  quickly  but  calmly,  "  unless  you  take 
immediate  steps  to  prevent  it.  They  are  not 
cavalry ;  they  are  buffaloes." 

"  Oh  !  ah  !"  exclaimed  Bob. 

"Humph!"  ejaculated  the  sentry,  jumping  to 
his  feet. — "  Don't  tell  the  boys  what  I  called  you 
out  for,  will  you,  corporal?  To  tell  the  truth,  I 
was  just  a  little  bit — " 

He  finished  the  sentence  by  shrugging  his  shoul- 


HOW    GEORGE    SAVED    THE    CAMP.  209 

ders,  and  Bob,  who  knew  what  he  meant  by  that, 
was  about  to  assure  him  that  he  would  say  noth 
ing  in  the  hearing  of  the  "boys"  that  would  enable 
hem  to  "get  the  laugh77  on  him,  when  George 
Ackerman  broke  in  with — 

"You  had  good  reason  to  be  alarmed,  and  this 
is  not  a  matter  to  be  dropped  with  an  t  ah  !'  and  an 
'  oh  !'  and  a  '  humph  !'  You  are  in  great  danger, 
if  you  only  knew  it.  Those  buffaloes  are  stam 
peded,  and  will  not  stop  until  they  are  all  out  of 
breath." 

"  Well,  if  they  don't  want  to  stop,  let  them  run," 
said  Bob.  "  Who  cares  ?  They  don't  owe  us  any 
thing.  They  will  of  course  turn  aside  when  they 
see  us." 

"  But  they  will  not  see  you  unless  you  do  some 
thing  to  attract  their  attention,"  exclaimed  George 
impatiently.  "  They  will  be  in  among  us  in  five 
minutes  more,  and  men  and  horses  will  be  trampled 
into  the  ground  like  blades  of  grass.  Wake  up  and 
do  something,  can't  you  ?  The  safety  of  the  camp 
depends  upon  you,  and  if  you  don't  move,  I  will." 

"  Great  Moses !"  ejaculated  Bob.  He  was  thor 
oughly  aroused  by  the  earnest  words  of  his  com 
panion,  but  having  never  been  placed  in  a  situation 
U 


210  GEOEGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

like  this  before,  he  did  not  know  how  to  act.  "  You 
don't  mean  that — I  never  heard  of — " 

"Yes,  I  do  mean  that  they  will  trample  the  whole 
camp  to  death  unless  you  prevent  it ;  and  I  don'  i 
care  whether  you  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing  being 
done  or  not,"  cried  George,  seizing  the  corporal  by 
the  arm  and  shaking  him  as  if  he  wanted  to  put 
a  little  energy  into  him. 

"But  what  shall  I  do?  Shall  I  order  up  the 
reserve  and  get  the  horses  out  of  the  way?" 

"You  haven't  got  time  to  get  them  out  of  the 
way.  The  buffaloes  will  be  upon  us  before  you 
could  take  half  a  dozen  of  them  to  a  place  of  safe 
ty.  Arouse  the  camp  the  first  thing,  and  then  call 
up  a  few  good  men  to  go  out  and  split  the  herd  the 
moment  it  comes  in  sight." 

Bob,  who  was  still  in  the  dark,  was  about  to  ask 
how  he  should  go  to  work  to  "  split "  the  herd  after 
he  had  selected  the  men,  but  George  did  not  give 
him  the  opportunity.  The  rumbling  of  the  ap 
proaching  hoofs  grew  louder  and  louder,  and  every 
moment  was  precious.  It  sounded  before  them  and 
to  the  right  and  left  of  them,  indicating  that  the 
herd  was  an  immense  one,  and  that  it  was  advan 
cing  with  a  front  broad  enough  to  overwhelm  the 


HOW   GEORGE   SAVED   THE   CAMP.  211 

entire  camp.      Knowing  that  no  more  time  could 
be  wasted  in  debating  the  matter,  George  unslung 
his  Winchester  and  fired   two  shots  into  the  air. 
The  effect  was  almost  magical.     The  camp,  which 
had  been  so  quiet  a  second  before,  was  aroused  into 
instant  life  and  activity.    Loud  cries  of  "  Indians  !" 
and  "  Fall  in !"  arose  on  the  still  air,  followed  by 
blasts  from  the  bugle  and  stern  notes  of  command. 
The  officer  of  the  guard  was  promptly  on  the  ground, 
and  to  him  Bob  reported  that  a  herd  of  stampeded 
buffaloes  was  bearing  down  upon  them.      The  an 
nouncement  startled  the  lieutenant,  but  he  acted  with 
the  greatest  coolness.     As  fast  as  the  men  came  up 
he  ordered  them  back  to  take  care  of  the  horses- 
all  except  a  dozen  or  so  of  the  best  soldiers  known 
to  him,  whom  he  ordered  to  follow  him.     By  the 
time  he  had  taken  up  his  position,  which  was  on  a 
little  rise  of  ground  about  fifty  yards  from  post  No. 
7,  Captain  Clinton  came  up.    Taking  in  at  a  glance 
the  arrangements  which  his  subordinate  had  made 
to  avert  the  terrible  danger  that  threatened  the  camp 
he  left  him  and  his  picked  men  to  carry  out  those 
arrangements  or  perish   in   the  attempt,  while  he 
hastened  back   to   see   that   the   horses  were   well 
secured. 


212  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

"  Steady  !"  commanded  Lieutenant  Earle,  speak 
ing  in  his  loudest  tones,  in  order  to  make  his  voice 
heard  above  the  roar  of  the  threatening  hoofs,  which 
sounded  like  the  noise  made  by  an  approaching 
hurricane.  "  We  are  here  to  conquer  or  die.  If 
we  don't  split  that  herd  they  will  trample  us  out 
of  sight  in  the  ground.  We  can  do  tt  if  we  are 
only  cool  enough  to  hold  our  position.  Don't  fire 
until  I  give  the  word,  and  then  put  in  the  shots 
as  rapidly  as  you  know  how." 

Bob's  hair  fairly  stood  on  end,  and  not  even  the 
calm  bearing  of  George  Ackerman,  who  was  con 
stantly  by  his  side  and  who  knew  their  danger  bet 
ter  than  he  did,  or  the  lieutenant's  assurance  that 
the  herd  could  be  split  if  they  did  their  full  duty, 
could  relieve  Bob's  mind  of  the  positive  conviction 
that  he  and  his  comrades  were  doomed  to  certain 
and  speedy  death.  But  his  courage  never  faltered, 
and  to  show  that  he  did  not  intend  to  allow  him 
self  to  be  outdone  in  steadiness  even  by  a  shoulder- 
strap,  he  walked  up  and  kneeling  beside  his  officer 
(the  men  in  the  front  rank  were  all  kneeling,  so 
that  those  in  the  rear  rank  could  shoot  over  their 
heads)  waited  for  the  order  to  fire. 

Nearer  came  the  terror-stricken  buffaloes,  louder 


HOW   GEORGE   SAVED   THE   CAMP.  213 

grew  the  thunder  of  their  hoofs,  and,  as  if  to  add 
to  the  horror  of  the  situation  and  to  test  the  cour 
age  of  the  lieutenant  and  his  devoted  little  band  to 
the  very  utmost,  the  horses  behind  them  began  to 
grow  unmanageable  from  fright  and  to  struggle 
desperately  to  escape  from  their  fastenings. 

At  length,  after  a  few  moments  of  dreadful  sus 
pense,  the  time  for  action  arrived.  A  rapidly- 
moving  mass,  which  was  plainly  visible,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  it  was  blacker  than  the  darkness  of 
the  night,  burst  into  view  and  bore  down  upon  the 
camp  and  its  little  band  of  defenders.  So  loud 
was  the  noise  made  by  their  hoofs  at  this  moment 
that  the  troopers  did  not  hear  the  order  to  fire, 
which  the  lieutenant  shouted  out  with  all  the  pow 
er  of  his  lungs;  but  they  saw  the  flash  of  his  re 
volver,  and  lost  no  time  in  opening  a  hot  fire  upon 
that  portion  of  the  herd  which  was  directly  in 
front  of  them.  To  Bob  it  seemed  that  the  rapid 
discharges  of  their  breech-loaders  had  no  effect 
whatever.  The  black  mass  before  him  was  as 
black  and  as  dense,  apparently,  as  it  was  when  he 
first  saw  it,  but,  strange  to  say,  instead  of  plung 
ing  upon  him  and  his  companions  and  trampling 
them  out  of  all  semblance  to  humanity,  it  seemed 


214  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

to  remain  stationary,  although  the  deafening  roar  of 
those  countless  hoofs  told  him  that  the  frantic  herd 
had  not  in  the  least  slackened  its  pace.  In  fact, 
his  eyes  and  ears  seemed  to  have  suddenly  become 
at  "  outs/'  for  they  did  not  endorse  each  other  as 
they  usually  did.  His  eyes  told  him  that  his  car 
bine  was  fired  rapidly,  for  they  showed  him  the 
flashes  that  followed  the  pulling  of  the  trigger; 
but  his  ears  took  no  note  of  the  fact,  for  he  could 
not  hear  the  faintest  report.  The  reason  for  this 
was,  that  the  herd,  having  been  split  in  two  by  the 
first  volley,  was  moving  by  on  each  side  of  them 
with  a  roar  and  a  rush  that  would  have  drowned 
the  discharge  of  a  section  of  artillery. 

How  long  the  buffaloes  were  in  passing  Bob 
never  knew,  for  he  took  no  note  of  time.  It  was 
probably  not  more  than  two  or  three  minutes,  but 
during  that  brief  period  he  passed  through  an  or 
deal  that  he  never  could  think  of  afterward  with 
out  feeling  the  cold  chills  creep  all  over  him.  But 
he  did  not  flinch,  and  neither  did  his  companions. 
When  the  last  of  the  buffaloes  passed  to  the  right 
and  left  of  them,  and  the  lieutenant  jumped  up 
and  stretched  his  arms  and  legs  as  if  to  assure 
himself  that  he  had  not  been  stepped  on  anywhere, 


HOW   GEORGE   SAVED   THE   CAMP.  215 

he  found  that  not  one  of  his  men  had  moved  from 
hi*  place.  The  front  rank  was  still  kneeling,  the 
rear  rank  was  standing,  and  they  were  both  as  well 
aligned  as  they  were  before  the  firing  commenced. 

After  ordering  the  front  rank  to  rise,  and  be 
stowing  upon  them  all  a  few  hearty  words  of  com 
mendation,  the  lieutenant  marched  his  men  back  to 
the  camp,  where  they  found  some  of  their  compan 
ions  under  arms,  and  the  rest  engaged  in  bringing 
in  the  horses  and  making  them  fast  to  the  stable- 
lines.  The  animals  were  in  such  a  state  of  alarm, 
and  showed  so  strong  a  desire  to  run  off  with  the 
retreating  buffaloes,  that  Captain  Clinton  thought 
it  advisable  to  put  a  strong  guard  over  them  for 
the  rest  of  the  night,  with  instructions  to  examine 
their  fastenings  every  few  minutes.  When  this 
guard  had  been  detailed  and  the  sentries  had  been 
changed,  the  rest  of  the  troopers  went  back  to 
their  blankets. 

Bob  and  George  were  proud  of  the  part  they  had 
acted  in  saving  the  camp  from  destruction,  and  con 
sequently  when  they  spread  their  blankets  beside 
one  of  the  fires  they  were  somewhat  provoked  to 
hear  the  man  who  was  piling  fresh  fuel  upon  it 
attribute  their  narrow  escape  to  "  luck."  But  still 


216  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

there  was  nothing  very  surprising  in  this,  for  it  not 
unfrequently  happens  that  a  soldier  stationed  in  one 
end  of  a  camp  does  not  know  what  is  going  on  in 
the  other  end  of  it,  especially  in  times  of  excite 
ment.  The  same  thing  happens  in  a  fight.  A 
soldier  may  be  able  to  give  a  clear  statement  of  the 
part  his  company  took  in  it,  but  he  knows  nothing 
of  the  general  plan  of  the  battle  or  of  the  number 
of  the  killed,  wounded,  captured  or  missing,  until 
he  has  had  time  to  talk  the  matter  over  with  his 
comrades  or  to  read  a  published  account  of  it. 
During  the  war  it  was  a  common  saying  among 
the  soldiers  in  the  field  that  they  never  knew  any 
thing  about  the  fights  they  had  been  in  until  they 
saw  the  papers. 

"  I  have  been  on  the  Plains  nearly  three  years," 
said  the  trooper  who  was  punching  up  the  fire,  "and 
that  was  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  a  herd  of  stam 
peded  buffaloes." 

"  I  never  saw  one,"  said  another  trooper.  "  I 
heard  this  one,  but  my  horse  kept  me  so  busy  that 
I  couldn't  take  time  to  look  at  it." 

"  I  had  a  fair  view  of  it,"  said  the  one  who  had 
first  spoken.  "  My  horse  was  quiet  enough  after 
I  got  the  bit  between  his  teeth,  so  that  I  could 


HOW  GEOKGE  SAVED  THE  CAMP.     217 

manage  him,  and  I  stood  up  there  by  that  farthest 
fire  and  took  it  all  in.  I  tell  you,  it  was  a  sight ! — 
a  regular  cataract  of  buffaloes  a  hundred  feet  wide, 
tumbling  over  a  bank  twenty  feet  high.  I  have 
always  heard  that  when  buffaloes  become  frightened 
and  get  to  running  they  turn  aside  for  nothing;  but 
this  night's  experience  gives  the  lie  to  all  such 
stories,  don't  it?  When  they  saw  our  camp  they 
turned  to  the  right  and  left,  and  crossed  the  stream 
above  and  below  us,  and  never  did  us  the  least 
damage.  Luck  was  on  our  side,  wasn't  it?" 

" i  Luck ' !"  repeated  Bob  in  a  tone  of  disgust ; 
"  I  guess  not.  There  were  about  a  dozen  men,  of 
whom  George  Ackerman  and  I  made  two,  who 
stood  between  you  fellows  and  certain  death.  If 
we  hadn't  held  our  ground  as  if  we  had  grown 
there,  there  wouldn't  have  been  one  of  you  left 
to  tell  the  story  of  this  night's  work." 

The  troopers  lying  about  the  fire  were  greatly 
astonished  at  these  words,  and  called  for  an  im 
mediate  explanation.  Bob  told  the  story  in  a  few 
words,  adding,  as  he  directed  the  attention  of  his 
auditors  to  George  Ackerman,  who  was  lying  at 
his  ease  on  his  blanket, 

"  There's  the  fellow  you  have  to  thank  for  your 


218  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

Muck.7  Sprague  heard  them  coming,  and  so  did 
I  after  he  called  me  out  to  his  post,  but  we  didn't 
know  what  it  was  until  Ackerman  told  us.  He  was 
the  one  who  alarmed  the  camp.  I  know  I  did  some- 
tlrng  toward  splitting  that  herd,  for  I  could  see  the 
fire  come  out  of  my  carbine  and  my  cartridge-box 
is  empty,  but  I  never  heard  a  report.  I  didn't  hear 
anything  but  the  thunder  of  those  hoofs,  and  I  shall 
hear  it  to  my  dying  day." 

"  I  wonder  what  started  them  ?"  said  one  of  the 
troopers,  after  he  and  his  companions  had  asked  a 
few  questions  concerning  the  behavior  of  the  vari 
ous  members  of  the  squad.  "  Indians?" 

"  Probably  they  did,"  answered  a  sergeant,  who 
just  then  came  up  to  the  fire  to  light  his  pipe, 
being  unable  to  go  to  sleep  until  he  had  taken  a 
smoke  to  quiet  his  nerves. 

"  Probably  the  Indians  had  nothing  to  do  with 
it,"  said  George.  "  Don't  you  know  that  a  herd  of 
buffaloes  will  feed  within  a  mile  or  two  of  an  Indian 
camp  for  days  at  a  time,  while  half  a  dozen  white 
men  would  scare  them  out  of  the  country  in  less 
than  an  hour?  Well,  it's  a  fact," 

"  What  is  the  reason  for  it  ?"  asked  Bob. 

"  The  reason  is  to  be  found  in  the  different  modes 


HOW   GEORGE   SAVED   THE   CAMP.  219 

of  hunting  them.  The  Indian,  who  depends  large 
ly  upon  them  for  food  and  clothing,  kills  no  more 
ol  them  during  a  run  than  the  squaws  can  take  care 
of.  He  hunts  them  almost  altogether  with  the  bow 
and  arrow,  which  are  not  only  very  effective  weap 
ons  at  short  range,  but  they  make  no  noise  to  scare 
away  the  game.  He  hunts  according  to  long-estab 
lished  rules,  none  but  the  best  men  in  the  tribe  being 
permitted  to  take  part  in  a  run,  and  in  this  way  the 
game  is  secured  before  the  buffaloes  get  frightened 
enough  to  break  into  a  stampede.  The  white  man, 
who  hunts  principally  for  profit,  keeps  up  the  kill 
ing  as  long  as  he  can  hold  the  herd  within  range  of 
his  gun.  He  follows  them  persistently  during  the 
daytime,  and  at  night  lies  in  wait  to  shoot  them  as 
they  come  to  the  streams  to  quench  their  thirst.  A 
buffalo  is  a  very  stupid  animal,  but,  after  all,  it 
doesn't  take  him  long  to  get  some  things  through 
his  head." 

•  Fresh,  purty  fresh !"  murmured  a  voice. 

George  looked  over  his  shoulders  and   saw    the 

o 

scout  lying  close  by  on  his  blanket.  He  had  come 
up  to  the  fire  and  arranged  his  bed  without  attract 
ing  the  attention  of  any  one. 

"Do  you  think  there   is  nobody   in   this  party 


220  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

who  knows  anything  except  yourself?"  demanded 
George. 

"Well,  no;  judging  by  the  way  you  sling  your 
chin,  you  know  it  all,"  replied  the  scout. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  first  put  this  herd  in 
motion  ?"  asked  one  of  the  troopers,  who  had  not 
yet  gained  all  the  information  he  wanted. 

"  That's  a  question  that  nobody  can  answer  unless 
he  was  on  the  ground  and  saw  them  start,"  answer 
ed  George. — "You'll  not  dispute  that,  will  you, 
Mose  ? — Our  Texas  cattle  will  often  get  stampeded 
by  the  sight  of  a  little  cloud  of  dust  that  is  sudden 
ly  raised  by  the  wind;  or  some  night  a  careless 
herdsman  may  step  between  them  and  the  fire  and 
throw  his  shadow  upon  them ;  or  some  of  the  young 
and  foolish  members  of  a  drove  will  fall  to  skylark 
ing,  and  that  will  frighten  the  others,  and  the  first 
thing  you  know  they  are  all  off  like  the  wind. 
Buffaloes  have  just  as  little  sense.  My  herdsman 
has  told  me  that  he  has  seen  hundreds  of  them, 
when  they  were  suffering  for  water,  walk  into  a 
stream  that  was  literally  choked  with  the  bodies 
of  their  companions  who  had  been  caught  in  the 
quicksand." 

"Say,"   growled    a    drowsy    trooper    from    his 


HOW   GEOKGE   SAVED   THE   CAMP.  221 

blanket,    "suppose    you   boys   go   somewhere   and 
hire  a  hall?" 

George  laughed,  and,  taking  the  hint  thus  del 
icately  thrown  out,  brought  his  lecture  on  buffa 
loes  to  a  close.  The  remembrance  of  the  thrilling 
scene  through  which  he  had  just  passed  did  not 
keep  him  awake.  On  the  contrary,  sleep  came  to 
his  eyes  almost  immediately,  and  the  last  sound  he 
heard  as  he  was  about  to  pass  into  the  land  of 
dreams  was  the  subdued  voice  of  the  scout  mur 
muring,  "  Fresh,  very  fresh !" 


CHAPTER    XI. 

TELEGRAPHING    BY    SMOKES. 

camp  was  aroused  at  an  early  hour  the 
next  morning,  and  by  the  time  it  was  fairly 
daylight  breakfast  had  been  disposed  of  and  the 
column  was  again  in  motion.  The  firing-squad 
had  brought  down  a  goodly  number  of  buffaloes^ 
in  their  efforts  to  split  the  herd — enough  to  furnish 
the  whole  camp  with  a  hearty  meal  and  to  enable 
each  trooper  to  carry  two  days'  cooked  rations  in 
his  haversack.  During  the  first  few  miles  of  their 
march  there  was  no  trail  for  them  to  follow,  all 
traces  of  the  thieving  Kiowas  having  been  oblit 
erated  by  the  hoofs  of  the  stampeded  buffaloes ;  but 
this  did  not  interfere  with  the  movements  of  the 
scout,  who,  from  the  start,  led  the  way  at  a  rapid 
pace.  He  knew  the  general  direction  in  which  the 
trail  led,  and  that  was  enough  for  him. 

"Where   do   you   think   we    shall    pick   it   up 
222 


TELEGKAPHING    BY   SMOKES.  223 

again  ?"  asked  Captain  Clinton  of  George,  who 
rode  by  his  side. 

"Do  you  see  that  butte?"  asked  George  in  reply, 
directing  the  officer's  attention  to  a  single  high 
peak  in  the  distance,  which  marked  the  south-east 
ern  boundary  of  the  dreaded  Staked  Plains.  "  We 
shall  not  see  another  drop  of  water  until  we  reach 
that  mountain,  and  we  shall  find  some  traces  of  the 
Indians  there,  if  we  do  not  find  them  before." 

"  Purty  fresh  !"  exclaimed  the  scout,  who  had 
overheard  every  word  of  this  conversation. 

"  Well,  if  you  know  better,  why  don't  you  say 
so  ?"  demanded  George.  "  Every  prediction  I  have 
made  so  far  has  turned  out  to  be  correct.  Xow, 
see  how  far  I  miss  it  when  I  tell  you  that  the  In 
dians  camped  beside  that  butte  last  night." 

"  Then  we  are  gaining  on  them  ?"  said  the 
captain. 

"  We  are,"  was  the  boy's  confident  reply.  "  And 
for  the  reason  that  we  have  followed  a  direct  course 
and  ridden  rapidly,  while  the  Indians  took  a  round 
about  way  and  moved  slowly,  being  hampered  by 
their  stolen  cattle." 

George's  calculations  proved  to  be  correct.  About 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  again  took  up  the 


224  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

trail,  and  followed  it  at  a  gallop.  They  reached  the 
peak  just  before  dark,  and  found  abundant  evidence 
that  the  Indians  had  recently  camped  there.  The 
troopers  halted  here  too  to  get  a  little  rest  and  a 
wink  of  sleep,  but  at  nine  o'clock  they  were  once 
more  on  the  move.  The  next  halt  was  made  about 
two  in  the  morning,  and  at  daylight  they  were  again 
in  their  saddles  and  riding  ahead  as  rapidly  as  ever. 
The  trail  led  them  along  the  borders  of  the  Staked 
Plains,  giving  some  of  the  troopers,  who  had  never 
before  scouted  so  far  in  this  direction,  their  first  view 
of  that  desolate  region.  A  gloomy-looking  place  it 
was.  As  far  as  their  eyes  could  reach  they  could 
see  nothing  but  sandhills,  with  stunted  weeds  and 
clumps  of  grass  which  seemed  to  be  struggling 
hard  to  maintain  a  foothold  in  the  arid  soil. 

They  had  marched  perhaps  ten  miles  from 
their  last  camp  when  George  Ackerman,  who  was 
riding  by  Captain  Clinton's  side,  discovered  some 
thing.  He  looked  at  it  for  a  moment,  and  then 
called  the  officer's  attention  to  it. 

"  They  have  begun  their  tricks  at  last,"  said  lie. 
"Do  you  see  that  dark  streak  out  there  in  the  grass? 
That's  a  new  trail.  There !  Mose  lias  discovered  it, 
and  is  going  out  to  see  what  it  looks  like." 


TELEGRAPHING    BY   SMOKES.  225 

Bringing  the  column  to  a  halt,  the  captain,  ac 
companied  by  George  and  some  of  the  officers,  rode 
forward  to  the  place  where  the  scout,  who  had  got 
down  from  his  horse,  stood  bending  over  the  trail. 
After  he  had  taken  plenty  of  time  in  which  to  make 
his  investigations,  he  straightened  up  to  announce 
the  result. 

"  Four  of  them  varmints  has  gone  this  way,  cap," 
said  he.  "  They've  left  a  plain  trail,  on  purpose  to 
coax  you  to  foller  'em." 

"  They  shall  be  gratified,"  answered  the  captain 
promptly.  "  As  my  party  is  larger  than  theirs,  I 
can  stand  more  divisions  than  they  can.  I  would 
as  soon  whip  them  in  detail  as  to  whip  them  in  a 
lump. — Earle,  take  a  dozen  men  from  your  troop 
and  follow  it  up." 

"Very  good,  sir,"  replied  the  lieutenant. 

"  Have  you  brought  your  signal-code  with  you  ? 
All  right!  If  you  discover  anything  startling,  send 
a  courier  to  me  with  the  fullest  details.  I  will  fol 
low  along  after  the  main  body.  Be  cautious,  but 
at  the  same  time  keep  moving,  for  we  ought  to  be 
within  striking  distance  of  those  rascals  in  a  few 
hours  more." 

The  lieutenant  saluted   and   rode   back   to   the 

15 


226  GEOEGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

column,  drawing  his  sword  as  he  went.  Dropping 
the  weapon  behind  the  third  column  of  fours,  he 
gave  the  order,  "  The  first  three  fours,  right  by 
twos — march  !  Column  left — march  !" 

This  brought  the  selected  twelve  alongside  the 
new  trail,  which  they  at  once  began  to  follow  up 
at  a  gallop,  waving  their  caps  to  their  comrades  as 
they  rode  away.  By  selecting  his  men  in  this  way 
the  lieutenant  did  not  happen  to  take  Bob  Owens, 
who  rode  farther  back  in  the  column.  The  young 
soldier,  who  was  not  in  the  habit  of  being  slighted 
when  there  was  anything  of  this  kind  going  on,  was 
both  surprised  and  provoked  at  his  officer ;  but  he 
afterward  thanked  him  for  choosing  his  men  as  he 
did,  and  congratulated  himself  on  having  been  left 
behind.  Mr.  Went  worth  gazed  longingly  after  the 
lieutenant,  and  sometimes  seemed  on  the  point  of 
riding  in  pursuit  of  him  ;  but  he  finally  made  up 
his  mind  to  stay  with  the  main  column. 

The  troopers  presently  resumed  the  march,  keep 
ing  up  the  same  rapid  pace  as  before',  and  in  a  few 
minutes  lost  sight  of  Lieutenant  Earle  and  his  party, 
who  disappeared  among  the  sandhills.  The  latter 
must  have  ridden  very  swiftly,  for  shortly  after 
noon  they  were  a  long  distance  from  the  main 


TELEGRAPHING   BY   SMOKES.  227 

body,  their  position  being  pointed  out  by  a  slender 
column  of  white  smoke  that  suddenly  arose  in  the 
air. 

"That's  them  varmints,  cap,"  said  the  scout, 
whose  eye  was  quick  to  detect  the  signal.  "  They're 
talkin'  to  each  other." 

"I  know  there  is  somebody  where  that  smoke 
comes  from,  but  I  am  not  sure  that  they  are  hos- 
tiles,"  replied  Captain  Clinton.  "  On  the  contrary, 
I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  men  who  built  that 
fire  want  to  talk  to  me.  At  any  rate,  I  shall  soon 
know." 

As  the  captain  said  this  he  pulled  his  watch  from 
his  pocket  with  one  hand,  and  with  the  other  pro 
duced  a  note-book,  which  he  held  ready  for  refer 
ence.  The  column  was  not  halted,  but  the  eye  of 
every  man  in  it  was  fastened  upon  the  distant  smoke. 
When  it  had  ascended  to  such  a  height  that  its  top 
seemed  lost  in  the  clouds,  it  was  suddenly  cut  1  »ose 
from  the  ground  by  some  mysterious  agency,  and 
floated  off  into  space.  A  few  seconds  passed,  and 
then  two  balloon-shaped  clouds  arose  in  quick  suc 
cession  from  the  same  spot,  and  George  took  note 
of  the  fact  that  when  the  last  one  arose  the  captain 
looked  at  his  watch.  Another  short  interval  elapsed, 


228  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

and  then  two  more  clouds  arose,  and  finally  two 
more ;  whereupon  the  captain  gave  his  knee  a  ring 
ing  slap  and  consulted  his  note-book. 

"I  knew  I  couldn't  be  mistaken/'  said  he. 
"  That's  from  Earle,  and  he  is  about  to  communi 
cate  with  me  by  courier. — Push  ahead  now,  scout, 
for  he  is  on  a  hot  trail.  Hallo  !  have  you  found 
another?"  he  added  as  the  scout,  instead  of  obey 
ing  the  order  to  "  push  ahead,"  suddenly  drew  up 
his  horse  and  threw  himself  from  his  saddle. 
"How  many  have  gone  off  this  time?" 

"  The  same  number,"  answered  the  scout,  "  an' 
they  were  goin'  somewhar  too,  for  their  ponies 
were  movin'  at  full  jump  when  they  turned  off 
here.  They're  up  to  some  trick  or  another,  but  I 
can't  tell  yet  what  it  is." 

"  Then  we  must  find  out,  for  it  is  our  business 
to  look  into  these  little  things.  I  should  like  to 
know  where  this  trail  leads  to,  and  I  want —  Let 
me  see." 

The  captain  turned  about  and  ran  his  eye  over 
the  column,  which  came  to  a  halt  as  soon  as  the 
commanding  officer  was  seen  to  stop  his  horse.  He 
seemed  to  be  in  a  quandary,  out  of  which  he  was 
helped  almost  immediately  by  the  sight  of  a  sol- 


TELEGRAPHING   BY   SMOKES.  229 

dierly  figure  upon  which  his  gaze  rested  for  a 
moment. 

"  He's  the  man  I  want,"  said  the  captain  aloud. — 
"Ackerman,  will  you  tell  Lieutenant  Smith,  who 
is  now  in  command  of  Earle's  troop,  that  I  want 
to  see  Corporal  Owens?" 

"  Certainly,  sir.  May  I  go  with  him  ?"  replied 
George,  who  knew  in  a  moment  that  there  was 
something  in  the  wind. 

The  captain  nodded  assent,  and  George  galloped 
back  to  the  column.  When  he  returned  Bob 
Owens  rode  at  his  side.  The  captain  was  writ 
ing — copying  something  upon  a  piece  of  paper 
from  his  note-book — but  he  stopped  long  enough 
to  return  Bob's  salute,  although  he  did  not  say  any 
thing  to  him.  Seeing  that  the  officer's  horse  was 
growing  restive  at  the  delay,  and  that  by  his  con 
stant  pawing  and  tossing  of  his  head  he  disturbed 
his  rider,  who  did  his  writing  while  seated  in  the 
saddle,  Bob  dismounted  and  took  the  animal  by 
the  bridle,  and  the  troopers  who  remained  in  col 
umn  seized  the  opportunity  to  fill  and  light  their 
pipes. 

"There  !"  said  the  captain  at  length. — "Step  up 
here,  corporal,  and  I  will  explain  this  to  you. — 


230  GEORGE   AT  THE  FORT. 

Ackerman,  tell  Lieutenant  Smith  to  pick  out 
twelve  good  men  to  follow  this  new  trail." 

By  the  time  the  lieutenant  had  received  and 
obeyed  this  order,  Captain  Clinton,  who  was  a  fast 
talker,  had  told  the  corporal  just  what  he  wanted 
him  to  do,  and  explained  to  him  the  contents  of 
the  paper  he  had  copied  from  his  note-book ;  and 
Bob,  who  was  quick  to  comprehend,  had  caught  and 
weighed  all  his  words  as  fast  as  they  were  uttered. 
He  then  put  himself  at  the  head  of  his  men  and 
led  them  away,  George  Ackerman  riding  by  his 
side. 

"  Now  we  are  off  for  another  lark,"  exclaim 
ed  Carey  as  soon  as  he  and  his  companions  had 
left  the  column  out  of  hearing.  By  some  chance, 
he  and  Loring  and  Phillips  had  been  selected  to 
accompany  Bob  on  every  one  of  his  expeditions, 
and  as  they  had  never  failed  to  accomplish  the 
object  for  which  they  were  sent  out,  they  began  to 
think  that  there  was  nothing  too  hard  for  them  to 
undertake. 

"  But  this  may  not  be  so  much  of  a  { lark '  as 
you  think,"  said  Bob ;  and  Carey  afterward  recall 
ed  the  words  when  he  found  himself  debarred 
from  accompanying  other  scouting-parties  on  ac- 


TELEGRAPHING    BY   SMOKES.  231 

count  of  a  painful  wound  in  his  sword-arm.  "  We 
are  not  out  after  deserters  now,  but  Indians." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  them  if  you 
find  them?"  asked  Loring. 

"I  shall  make  things  as  lively  for  them  as  I 
can,"  replied  Bob.  "But  I  don't  think  I  shall 
come  up  with  them ;  and  the  captain  doesn't  expect 
me  to.  He  is  going  to  follow  every  trail  and  force 
the  Indians  to  go  back  to  their  agency,  whether 
they  want  to  go  or  not;  that  is,  unless  we  can 
overhaul  them  before  they  get  there." 

"  I  know  we  are  not  out  on  a  '  lark/ "  said 
George  Ackerman.  "What  would  you  say  if  we 
had  to  go  into  camp  to-night  without  water?" 

"  Gracious  !"  exclaimed  Phillips,  looking  around 
at  the  sandhills,  which  now  shut  them  in  on  all 
sides.  "The  prospect  of  finding  a  stream  or  a 
spring  is  not  very  flattering,  is  it?  I  wish  we 
could  find  one  now,  for  the  water  in  my  canteen 
is  just  ready  to  boil." 

"  You  had  better  be  careful  of  it,"  said  George, 
"  for  it  is  much  better  than  none  at  all." 

"Is  there  any  water  to  be  found  in  this  coun 
try?" 

"Oh  yes  ;  and  this  trail  will  take  us  to  it  by  the 


232  GEORGE   AT  THE  FORT. 

shortest  route.  An  Indian  can't  live  without  wa 
ter  any  more  than  we  can,  and  he  knows  just  where 
to  find  it." 

"  Say,  George,"  exclaimed  Bob  suddenly,  "  didn't 
I  hear  Mose  say  that  when  the  four  horses  that  made 
this  trail  turned  off  the  big  trail,  they  were  going  at 
full  speed  ?" 

George  replied  that  he  did  say  so. 

"How  did  he  know  it?"  continued  Bob. 

"  By  the  looks  of  the  tracks  and  the  distance  be 
tween  them.  When  a  horse  is  walking  his  hind  foot 
covers  about  half  the  print  made  by  his  fore  foot, 
and  the  tracks  are  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  feet 
apart.  When  the  horse  is  trotting  the  tracks  are  not 
so  distinct,  the  one  made  by  the  fore  foot  being  near 
ly  covered  up,  and  they  are  from  seven  to  eight  feet 
apart.  When  he  is  running  the  print  of  only  one 
foot  can  be  seen,  as  a  general  thing  the  ground  about 
the  tracks  is  considerably  disturbed,  and  they  are 
from  seven  to  twelve  feet  apart." 

If  Carey  and  the  rest  of  the  squad  did  not  learn 
to  their  entire  satisfaction  that  they  were  not  out  en 
a  picnic  this  time,  the  horses  on  which  they  were 
mounted  certainly  did,  for  before  an  hour  had  pass 
ed  they  were  very  much  in  need  of  water — so  much 


TELEGRAPHING    BY   SMOKES.  235 

so  that  Bob  brought  them  down  to  a  trot,  and  at  last 
to  a  walk.  At  the  end  of  another  hour  their  riders 
began  to  suffer  in  the  same  way,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  every  drop  in  their  canteens,  warm  as  it  was, 
had  disappeared.  Whether  it  was  the  parched  ap 
pearance  of  things  around  them  ;  or  the  effects  of 
the  wind,  which  came  into  their  faces  as  hot  as  a 
blast  from  a  furnace  ;  or  the  reflection  of  the  sun's 
rays  from  the  sandhills  around  them ;  or  the  sand 
itself,  which  arose  in  the  air  when  disturbed  by  their 
horses'  hoofs,  and  settled  in  their  mouths  and  nos 
trils, — whether  it  was  one  or  all  of  these  causes  com 
bined  that  made  them  so  very  thirsty  they  did  not 
think  to  inquire,  but  certain  it  was  that  they  would 
have  welcomed  the  discovery  of  a  water-course  more 
heartily  now  than  at  any  other  time  during  their 
march.  Just  how  long  this  state  of  affairs  was  to 
continue  they  did  not  know,  for  there  was  not  one 
among  them  who  could  tell  whether  water  was  five 
or  twenty  miles  off.  The  only  thing  they  could  do 
was  to  follow  the  trail  and  await  the  issue  of  events 
with  all  the  patience  they  could  command. 

After  they  had  been  separated  from  the  main 
column  for  about  three  hours,  two  incidents  hap 
pened  which  served  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  the 


234  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

march,  and  caused  them,  for  the  time  being,  to  for 
get  how  uncomfortably  hot  and  dusty  and  thirsty 
they  were.  As  they  were  riding  silently  along  be 
hind  George  Ackerman,  whose  fast-walking  nag  had 
carried  him  some  distance  in  advance  of  the  squad, 
they  saw  him  draw  rein  all  of  a  sudden  and  raie« 
his  hand  with  a  warning  gesture.  Then  he  backed 
his  horse  under  cover  of  a  convenient  sandhill,  and 
pulling  his  field-glass  from  the  case  he  carried  slung 
over  his  shoulder,  he  levelled  it  at  some  object  that 
had  attracted  his  attention,  but  which  could  not  be 
seen  by  the  troopers. 

Bob  at  once  ordered  a  halt,  and  rode  forward  to 
inquire  into  the  matter.  When  he  reached  George's 
side  he  found  himself  on  the  outskirts  of  a  sort  of 
basin  in  the  plain,  which  looked  as  though  it  might 
have  been  scooped  out  by  the  wind.  It  was  cover 
ed  with  sand,  and  dotted  here  and  there  with  little 
bunches  of  yellow  grass  and  weeds.  On  the  oppo 
site  side  of  this  basin,  which  was  perhaps  a  mile  and 
a  half  wide,  was  a  single  horseman,  who  was  riding 
toward  them  at  a  rapid  pace. 

"  I  couldn't  make  out,  at  that  distance,  whether 
he  was  a  friend  or  foe,  so  I  thought  it  best  to  warn 
you,"  said  George. 


TELEGRAPHING    BY    SMOKES.  235 

"  That  was  all  right,  of  course.  Can  you  make 
him  out  with  your  glass?" 

"Very  plainly.  He's  a  soldier — one  of  Lieu 
tenant  Earle's  men,  probably." 

"  That's  just  who  he  is,"  exclaimed  Bob  after  he 
had  taken  a  look  at  the  horseman  through  the  field- 
glass.  "I  know  him.  That  signal-smoke  we  saw 
just  before  we  left  the  column  was  sent  up  to  in 
form  the  captain  that  Earle  had  despatched  a  courier 
to  him  with  some  important  news,  and  now  we  will 
find  out  what  it  is. — Come  on,  fellows,"  he  added, 
waving  his  hand  to  the  squad;  "it  is  one  of  our 
own  company,  boys." 

Bob  and  his  companion  rode  out  in  plain  view, 
and  a  few  seconds  later  the  troopers  joined  them. 
Their  sudden  appearance  must  have  astonished  the 
approaching  courier,  and  perhaps  alarmed  him  too, 
for  he  pulled  up  his  horse  with  a  jerk,  and,  shad 
ing  his  eyes  with  his  hand,  gazed  at  them  long  and 
earnestly.  They  waved  their  caps  to  reassure  him, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  he  came  up.  The  first  words 
he  uttered  showed  that  he  had  already  had  quite 
enough  of  scouting  in  the  Staked  Plains. 

"Did  anybody  ever  see  so  dreary  a  hole  as 
this?"  said  he  as  he  lifted  his  cap  and  drew  his 


236  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

handkerchief  across  his  forehead — "nothing  but 
sandhills  as  far  as  you  can  see,  and  one  looks  so 
much  like  another  that  a  fellow  don't  know  how 
to  shape  a  course.  It  must  be  just  fearful  in  here 
when  the  wind  blows. — I  say,  corporal,  where  am 
I  ?  and  what  are  you  doing  out  here  ?" 

"  I  can't  answer  your  first  question,  for  I  don't 
know  myself,"  answered  Bob.  "  I  was  sent  out 
to  follow  a  new  trail  we  found  just  after  you  sent 
up  that  smoke.  What  was  the  meaning  of  it? — 
Carey,  climb  up  to  the  top  of  that  sandhill  and 
tell  us  if  you  can  see  anything." 

"  Lieutenant  Earle  sent  up  that  smoke  to  let  the 
captain  know  that  he  was  about  to  send  him  some 
news,"  replied  the  horseman;  "and  I  don't  see 
why  the  captain  didn't  send  up  a  reply,  for  I  don't 
know  where  to  find  him." 

"  I  will  point  out  his  position  as  near  as  I  can 
before  you  leave  us,"  said  Bob.  "  Is  that  news  of 
any  importance  ?" 

"  I  should  say  it  was,"  exclaimed  the  courier. 
"  We've  struck  it  hot,  I  tell  you.  On  the  banks 
of  a  little  stream  we  found  somewhere  off  in  that 
direction — " 

"  Look   here,    Aleck !"    exclaimed    Loring ;    "  I 


TELEGRAPHING    BY   SMOKES.  237 

thought  that  canteen  of  yours  looked  as  though 
it  had  been  dipped  in  water  not  so  very  long  ago. 
Why  don't  you  pass  it  around  ?  We  haven't  got 
a  drop  left." 

"  Is  that  so  ?"  said  the  courier,  who  promptly 
unslung  his  canteen.  "  You  are  welcome  to  it,  but 
touch  it  easy,  so  that  everybody  can  have  a  taste, 
and  don't  forget  to  save  some  for  Carey. — As  I 
was  saying,  on  the  banks  of  that  stream  the  scout 
discovered  the  tracks  of  little  boots." 

The  troopers  all  uttered  exclamations  when  they 
heard  this,  and  Loring  was  so  anxious  to  hear  more 
that  he  forgot  he  was  thirsty,  and  after  holding  the 
canteen  in  his  hand  for  a  moment  passed  it  to  a 
comrade  without  tasting  of  its  contents. 

"  Mr.  Wentworth  acted  as  though  he  thought 
he  ought  to  go  with  Lieutenant  Earle's  squad,  and 
when  he  hears  that  he  will  be  sorry  that  he  stayed 
behind,"  observed  Bob. 

Won't  he,  though !"  said  the  courier. 

"  I  suppose  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  tracks 
were  made  by  his  boys  ?"  said  George. 

"None  whatever.  How  could  there  be?  The 
Indians  have  no  other  prisoners  with  them." 

"  They    have     none    that    we     know    of,"    said 


238  GEOKGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

George.  "  But  as  they  visited  other  ranches,  they 
may  have  taken  other  boys  captive." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  they  did  visit  other 
ranches  ?"  demanded  the  courier.  "  Mr.  Went- 
worth  didn't  say  anything  about  it  in  my  hear- 
ing." 

"  Nor  in  mine,  either,"  replied  George.  "  But 
he  did  say  in  my  hearing  that  he  had  lost  not  more 
than  half  a  dozen  horses,  and  the  trail  shows  that 
they  have  more  than  fifty  with  them." 

"  Well,"  said  the  courier,  looking  down  at  the 
horn  of  his  saddle  in  a  brown  study,  "  if  that's  the 
case,  the  Indians  may  have —  No,  they  didn't, 
either,"  he  added,  brightening.  "  Mr.  Wentworth 
told  the  colonel,  in  Lieutenant  Earle's  hearing,  that 
the  Indians  jumped  down  on  his  ranche  just  after 
he  had  finished  mending  his  oldest  boy's  boots. 
He  put  a  patch  on  each  one  of  them  just  under 
the  ball  of  the  foot,  and  those  patches  showed  in 
the  tracks." 

"  Ah !"  exclaimed  George,  "  that  will  pass  for 
evidence." 

"At  any  rate,"  continued  the  courier,  "I  was 
ordered  to  tell  the  captain  that  we  were  on  the 
trail  of  the  party  who  had  the  children.  That's 


TELEGRAPHING    BY    SMOKES.  239 

all  the  news  I  have,  I  believe. — What  shall  I  tell 
the  captain  for  you,  corporal  ?" 

"  Say  to  him  that  you  found  me  following  up 
my  trail  as  fast  as  the  condition  of  my  horses 
would  permit,"  answered  Bob.  "  It  is  as  plain  as 
daylight,  and  if  I  could  only  get  some  water  now 
and  then,  I  could  follow  it  at  a  gallop. — What  is 
it,  Carey?" 

"A  smoke  away  off  to  the  south-east,"  replied 
the  soldier,  who  was  lying  flat  on  the  top  of  the 
nearest  sandhill. 

Bob  at  once  dismounted  and  made  his  way  up 
the  hill,  followed  by  George  and  the  courier.  They 
did  not  expose  their  full  height  to  view,  but  crept 
up  on  their  hands  and  knees,  and  when  they  reach 
ed  the  top  pulled  off  their  caps  before  they  looked 
over  it.  They  knew  that  Indians,  when  they  are 
retreating,  always  leave  some  of  their  number  to 
watch  the  trail,  and  they  adopted  these  precautions 
in  order  to  avoid  discovery  by  these  rear-guards 
should  there  chance  to  be  any  in  the  neighborhood. 
The  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays  from  the  brass  or 
naments  on  their  caps  would  have  been  seen  by  a 
watchful  Indian  at  an  almost  incredible  distance. 

"  I  see  the  smoke,"  said  Bob,  pulling  from  his 


240  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

pocket  the  paper  which  Captain  Clinton  had  given 
*iim — "  Where  is  your  watch,  George  ?  Now  look 
for  the  signal." 

The  smoke,  like  the  one  Lieutenant  Earle  had 
sent  up  a  few  hours  before,  ascended  in  a  straight, 
slender  column  for  a  few  seconds,  and  then  floated 
away  out  of  sight.  A  few  seconds  later  three  little 
columns,  shaped  like  the  clouds  which  are  thrown 
out  by  the  discharge  of  a  cannon,  arose  in  the  air 
in  quick  succession,  followed  after  a  little  delay  by 
three  others.  Bob  waited  and  watched,  but  as  no 
more  clouds  appeared,  he  knew  that  the  signal  had 
been  made.  The  next  thing  was  to  find  out  what 
it  meant. 

"  George,"  said  he,  "  after  those  first  three  smokes 
appeared  how  long  was  it  before  the  others  were 
seen  ?" 

"  Just  thirty  seconds,"  replied  the   time-keeper. 

Bob  ran  his  eye  over  the  paper  he  held  in  his 
hand,  and  presently  found  the  following,  which  he 
read  aloud  :  "  Three  smokes,  followed  at  the  in 
terval  of  half  a  minute  by  three  others,  are  intend 
ed  to  point  out  the  position  of  the  signalling-party." 
— "There  you  are !"  said  he,  turning  to  the  courier. 
"Fix  in  your  mind  the  place  from  which  that 


TELEGRAPHING    BY   SMOKES.  241 

smoke  arose,  and  then  travel  a  little  to  the  north 
of  it,  so  as  to  allow  for  the  captain's  progress,  and 
you  will  find  him." 

"  How  far  away  was  that  smoke  ?"  asked  the 
courier  as  he  and  his  companions  crept  back  down 
the  hill. 

"  Fifteen  miles,"  replied  George. 

"  Whew  !  Well,  I'll  get  there  if  I  can.  Who's 
got  my  canteen  ?  Why,  you  have  left  some  in  it !" 
he  added  as  one  of  the  squad  handed  him  the  ar 
ticle  in  question.  "Don't  any  of  you  want  another 
taste?" 

Yes,  there  were  plenty  there  who  could  have 
drained  the  canteen  to  the  last  drop  and  then  call 
ed  for  more,  but  knowing  that  the  courier  would 
have  need  of  it  before  he  had  galloped  fifteen  miles 
under  that  broiling  sun  with  the  hot  wind  blowing 
upon  him,  they  all  declared  that  they  had  had 
enough. 

After  Carey  and  Loring  had  moistened  their 
parched  lips  the  courier  sprang  upon  his  horse 
and  waved  his  farewell,  while  Bob  and  his  men, 
feeling  somewhat  refreshed,  took  up  the  trail  again 
and  followed  it  at  a  trot. 

16 


CHAPTER    XII. 


ANOTHER   FEATHER   FOR   BOB'S   CAP. 


second  diversion  of  which  we  have  spoken 
occurred  about  an  hour  after  Lieutenant  Earle's 
courier  left  them.  It  was  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  the  discovery  of  the  fact  that  the  party  of 
whom  they  were  in  pursuit  had  been  joined  by 
another  warrior,  whose  pony's  tracks  came  from 
the  direction  in  which  the  lieutenant  was  supposed 
to  be  scouting.  Bob  and  his  men  did  not  seem  to 
attach  much  importance  to  this,  but  George  did.  He 
looked  the  ground  over  very  carefully,  and  reached 
conclusions  that  astonished  himself. 

"  Bob  Owens,"  said  he  in  a  low  tone  as  they  re 
sumed  the  march,  "  you've  got  another  chance  to  put 
a  feather  in  your  hat — a  big  one,  too.  Lieutenant 
Earle  will  never  rescue  Mr.  Wentworth's  boys,  but 
you  can  if  you're  smart." 

Bob,  who  always  listened  in  the  greatest  amaze 
ment  (and  with  some  incredulity,  too,  it  must  be 

242 


ANOTHER   FEATHER    FOR    BOB*S   CAP.        243 

confessed)  to  his  friend's  predictions,  could  only 
look  the  surprise  he  felt.  How  any  one,  by 
simply  looking  at  a  pony's  track,  could  tell  what 
a  party  of  men  whom  he  had  never  seen  were  go 
ing  to  do,  he  could  not  understand. 

"  To  begin  with,"  continued  George,  "  our  In 
dians  expected  to  have  an  addition  made  to  their 
party,  and  they  expected  also  that  it  would  be  made 
just  where  it  was  made.  How  do  I  know  that? 
By  the  looks  of  things.  The  ponies  were  all  hud 
dled  together  in  one  place,  and  they  must  have  stood 
there  a  good  while,  judging  by  the  stamping  they 
did.  Their  riders  must  have  dismounted  there,  for 
I  saw  the  prints  of  their  moccasins  in  the  sand.  I 
noticed  also  that  the  side  of  the  nearest  sandhill  had 
been  disturbed,  and  that  told  me  that  one  of  their 
number  had  climbed  up  there  to  watch  for  the  ex 
pected  warrior." 

"Perhaps  he  was  watching  for  us,"  suggested 
Bob. 

"If  he  was,  he  wouldn't  have  watched  for  us 
with  his  feet,  would  he?"  demanded  George. 

"'With  his  feet'?"  echoed  Bob. 

"  Yes.  He  would  have  been  more  likely  to 
watch  for  us  with  his  eyes." 


244  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

"How  do  you  know  that  he  didn't?" 
"  Because  he  climbed  up  on  our  side  of  the  hill, 
and  that  would  have  exposed  his  whole  body  to  our 
view  if  we  had  been  anywhere  within  sight  of  him. 
His  eyes  were  turned  the  other  way ;  that  is,  in 
Lieutenant  Earle's  direction.  He  wasn't  afraid  of 
being  seen  by  us,  but  he  took  all  due  precautions  to 
conceal  himself  from  the  gaze  of  any  one  who  might 
happen  to  come  that  way  from  Lieutenant  Earle's 
command ;  for  near  the  place  where  the  ponies  were 
standing  I  saw  the  tufts  of  grass  he  had  pulled  up 
to  tie  around  his  head." 

"Well,  I  am  beat!"  exclaimed  Bob. 
"  What  beats  you  ?" 

"You  do:  I  didn't  see  any  of  those  things." 
"  Probably  you  didn't,  for  the  reason  that  you 
didn't  look  for  them.  You  see,  I  have  passed  a 
good  many  years  on  the  Plains,  and  I  have  learned 
that  eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  a  cowboy's  life 
and  liberty.  When  his  scalp  depends  upon  the  cor 
rect  reading  of  such  signs  as  those  which  I  have 
just  described  to  you,  he  is  not  often  caught  nap 
ping.  My  long  association  with  Zeke,  whose  eyes 
seemed  to  be  everywhere,  has  got  me  into  the  habit 
of  keeping  my  own  eyes  open.  Probably  there 


ANOTHER   FEATHER   FOR    BOfi's   CAP.        245 

were  other  things  there  that  would  have  been 
perfectly  plain  to  Zeke  or  Mountain  Mose  which 
I  didn't  see. 

"Now,  of  course  I  don't  know  that  this  new 
warrior  brought  Mr.  Wentworth's  children  with 
him  when  he  came  over  to  join  our  Indians,  but 
everything  seems  to  point  that  way.  One  of  the 
proofs — and  the  strongest,  in  my  humble  opinion — 
is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  Indians  allowed  their 
captives  to  dismount  on  the  banks  of  that  stream 
the  courier  told  us  of.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that 
they  went  farther  than  that,  and  compelled  the  boys 
to  walk  in  the  mud  and  leave  their  tracks  there." 

"  I  don't  see  why  they  did  that,"  observed  Bob. 
"I  should  think  they  would  want  to  keep  everybody 
from  knowing  where  the  boys  were." 

"  So  they  would  if  they  had  intended  to  keep  the 
boys  with  them,  but  they  did  not.  This  is  their 
plan,  as  near  as  I  can  get  at  it;  and  in  order  to 
make  my  explanation  clearer  I  will  call  the  party 
of  which  Lieutenant  Earle  is  in  pursuit  No.  1, 
that  which  we  want  to  find  No.  2,  and  that  the 
captain  is  following  up  No.  3.  The  warriors  in 
No.  1  are  doubtless  the  best  mounted  of  all  the 
raiders.  When  they  separated  from  the  main 


246  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

body  they  left  a  broad  trail,  so  that  they  could  be 
easily  followed,  taking  the  children  with  them,  and 
leaving  now  and  then  a  sign  of  their  presence,  for 
no  other  purpose  than  to  coax  the  captain  to  follow 
them  with  his  whole  force.  As  soon  as  they  reach 
ed  a  piece  of  rocky  ground,  where  a  pony's  feet 
would  leave  no  track,  one  of  their  number  picked 
up  the  boys  and  brought  them  over  here,  where 
party  No.  2  was  waiting  for  him.  Those  he  left 
behind  will  show  themselves  to  Lieutenant  Earle 
occasionally,  and  perhaps  open  a  little  fight  with 
him,  just  to  induce  him  to  continue  the  pursuit. 
Party  No.  3  will  drive  the  stock  ahead  as  fast  as 
possible,  and  get  away  with  it  if  they  can ;  but  if 
they  find  that  they  are  likely  to  be  overtaken,  they 
will  drop  the  cattle  and  do  everything  they  can  to 
keep  the  captain  on  their  trail,  so  as  to  give  party 
No.  2  a  chance  to  escape  with  the  prisoners.  Now, 
that's  a  long  story,  and  no  doubt  it  is  a  hard  one  to 
believe;  but  I  don't  think  I  am  far  from  right  when 
I  tell  you  that  it  is  quite  in  your  power  to  carry  off 
the  honors  of  this  expedition.  Captain  Clinton  will 
have  his  hands  full  until  he  recovers  that  stock ;  so 
will  Lieutenant  Earle  as  long  as  he  follows  those 
will-o'-the-wisps  in  front  of  him  ;  and  to  you  will 


ANOTHER   FEATHER   FOR   BOB'S   CAP.        247 

be  left  the  duty,  as  well  as  the  privilege,  of  look 
ing  out  for  the  safety  of  Mr.  Wentworth's  little 
boys." 

"  Whew  !"  panted  Bob,  who  was  very  much  im 
pressed,  although  not  wholly  convinced,  by  his  com 
panion's  clear  and  forcible  reasoning.  "  Then  I  am 
the  chief  man  in  this  scout,  am  I?  Suppose — I 
say,  just  suppose — I  should  be  lucky  enough  to 
rescue  those  boys  alive  and  unharmed,  what  would 
the  fellows  say?  What  would  Mr.  Wentworth 
say?" 

"The  boys  would  cheer  you,  and  you  would 
win  Mr.  Wentworth's  everlasting  gratitude,"  re 
plied  George.  "  But,  Bob,  the  prisoners  have  not 
been  rescued  yet,  and  I  warn  you  that  unless  you 
are  as  sly  as  a  fox  you  will  be  the  means  of  their 
death.  If  the  Indians  discover  you,  and  find  them 
selves  unable  to  escape,  their  very  first  act  will  be 
to  kill  those  boys." 

"  Good  gracious !"  exclaimed  Bob,  dropping  his 
reins  upon  the  horn  of  his  saddle  and  pulling  off 
his  cap  with  one  hand  while  he  scratched  his  head 
vigorously  with  the  other.  "  Good  gracious  !  The 
captain  never  thought  of  that  when  he  sent  me 
off  with  this  squad,  did  he  ?  George,  the  responsi- 


248  GEORGE   AT  THE  PORT. 

bility  is  too  heavy  for  me.  I  think  I'll  ask  the 
captain  where  he  is,  and  then  go  and  report  to 
him." 

"  That  wouldn't  be  a  very  smart  trick/'  protested 
George.  "You  would  not  only  be  taken  to  task 
for  wasting  valuable  time,  but  the  Indians,  seeing 
a  smoke  that  they  couldn't  understand  arise  on 
their  trail,  would  take  the  alarm  at  once,  and  you 
would  lose  a  fine  chance  of  distinguishing  your 
self." 

"Don't  you  suppose  they  saw  the  smoke  that 
Lieutenant  Earle  sent  up?" 

"  Of  course  they  did — the  captain's  too.  Those 
same  smokes  were  a  good  thing  for  us,  for  I  am  of 
the  opinion  that  they  threw  our  party  off  their 
guard  by  leading  them  to  believe  they  are  not  pur 
sued.  You  mustn't  send  up  a  smoke  along  this 
trail  if  you  want  to  catch  those  Indians.  AVhat 
are  your  orders,  anyhow  ?" 

"To  follow  the  trail  until  I  am  recalled  or  un 
til  the  Indians  throw  me  off  entirely,"  replied 
Bob. 

"  Then  don't  you  see  that  you  would  be  disobey 
ing  orders  by  marching  your  squad  back  to  the 
column  without  a  recall?"  asked  George.  "You 


ANOTHER  FEATHER  FOR  BOB'S  CAP.      249 

would  surely  get  yourself  into  trouble  by  doing 
that,  and  besides,  you  would  be  hauled  over  the 
coals  for  not  taking  better  care  of  your  men  and 
horses.  They  couldn't  stand  twenty  miles  more 
to-night  without  a  rest,  and  how  much  of  a  rest 
could  they  get  here  in  this  oven,  with  no  grass 
or  water?  Don't  do  it,  Bob." 

"But  the  prisoners — -just  think  of  the  prison 
ers  !"  exclaimed  the  perplexed  corporal.  "  I  don't 
want  to  feel  that  I  am  responsible  for  any  harm 
that  may  befall  them." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  are  going  to  shirk  it." 

"Well,  \vill  you  take  command?" 

"  Certainly  not,"  answered  George  quickly. 
"  Don't  confess  your  incapacity  by  surrender 
ing  your  authority.  Besides,  a  scout  never  com 
mands — he  only  advises;  and  I  will  help  you  in 
that  way  all  I  can.  Go  on,  and  say  that  you  will 
do  your  best." 

"  I  will,"  said  Bob,  slamming  his  cap  upon  his 
head  and  seating  himself  firmly  in  his  saddle. 
"  If  we  can  only  place  ourselves  in  a  position  to 
cover  those  boys,  the  Indians  will  not  have  a 
chance  to  touch  them,  I'll  bet  you.  My  men  are 
all  good  marksmen." 


250  GEORGE  AT  THE   FOKT. 

"  And  I  am  a  tolerable  one  myself/'  said  George. 
"  A  single  hair  of  those  boys'  heads  is  worth  the 
lives  of  all  the  Indians  that  ever  saw  the  Staked 
Plains,  and  if  it  becomes  necessary  to  shoot  in  their 
defence,  I  am  ready.  There  is  a  high  sandhill,  and 
if  you  will  stop  here  for  a  few  minutes  I  will  go 
up  and  see  if  I  can  discover  anything." 

Bob  raised  his  hand  to  halt  the  squad,  and 
George  swung  himself  out  of  his  saddle.  His 
first  care  was  to  lay  aside  his  cap  and  rifle,  and  his 
next  to  pull  up  a  quantity  of  grass  and  weeds  to 
be  used  as  a  screen.  With  these  in  one  hand 
and  his  field-glass  in  the  other  he  crept  slowly  to 
the  top  of  the  sandhill,  and,  holding  the  screen  a 
few  inches  above  the  ground,  he  pushed  his  field- 
glass  under  it  and  looked  around. 

"  Aha !"  was  his  mental  exclamation,  "  I  shall 
have  good  news  to  carry  back  to  the  boys.  There's 
a  deep  gully  about  five  miles  off,  and  there  must  be 
a  stream  of  water  running  through  it,  or  else  those 
willows  would  not  be  growing  there.  I  wish  we 
had  got  here  an  hour  earlier,  for  then  I  should  have 
had  daylight  to  aid  me  in  making  my  observa 
tions.  The  Indians  probably  halted  in  that  gully 
a  few  hours  ago,  and  the  question  to  be  decided 


ANOTHER  FEATHER  FOR  BOB'S  CAP.   251 

now  is —  Hal-lo!  If  that  isn't  smoke  rising 
among  those  trees,  what  is  it?  And  didn't  that 
little  cluster  of  bushes  over  there  on  the  top  of 
that  hill  shift  its  position  just  now?" 

George's  heart  beat  wildly  as  he  propounded  these 
inquiries  to  himself.  He  took  another  long  look, 
and  then  with  a  very  slow  and  gradual  motion  he 
deposited  his  screen  upon  the  sand  and  backed 
down  to  the  plain.  His  stealthy  movements  told 
the  troopers  that  he  had  seen  something. 

"Corporal/'  said  he  as  they  rode  up 'to  him, 
"  before  you  ask  any  questions  let  me  suggest  that 
you  order  your  men  to  remove  their  sabres  as 
quietly  as  possibly." 

Bob  quickly  unhooked  his  own  sabre  from  his 
belt,  and  looked  at  his  men,  who  made  all  haste  to 
follow  his  example.  They  knew  that  there  could 
1>?  but  one  reason  for  this  order.  A  steel  scabbard 
hanging  by  the  side  of  a  careless  rider  will  strike 
against  his  spurs  with  every  step  his  horse  takes, 
or  rattle  against  his  leg  as  the  trooper  walks  about, 
giving  out  a  clear  ringing  sound  that  will  betray 
his  presence  to  foes  far  less  watchful  and  sharp- 
eared  than  Indians. 

"  So  we  have  run  them   into   their  holes,  have 


252  GEORGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

we?"  said  Bob  when  be  had  acted  upon  George's 
suggestion. 

"  That  remains  to  be  seen.  They  are  camped 
about  five  miles  from  here,  and  one  of  their  look 
outs  is  watching  the  trail." 

The  troopers  looked  at  Bob  as  if  to  ask  what  he 
was  going  to  do  about  it,  and  Bob,  who  had  as  little 
idea  of  the  orders  he  ought  to  give  under  the  cir 
cumstances  as  he  had  of  the  Greek  language,  looked 
at  George.  The  latter  did  not  say  anything,  for  lie 
wanted  the  troopers  to  hold  fast  to  their  belief  that 
the  corporal  was  able  to  act  for  himself  in  any  and 
every  emergency ;  but  he  gave  his  friend  a  look 
that  was  plainly  understood. 

"  Dismount/7  commanded  Bob ;  "  we'll  rest  here 
until  we  can  determine  upon  something.  Let  every 
man  keep  fast  hold  of  his  horse,  for  a  neigh  from 
one  of  them  would  make  dough  of  our  cake  in  a 
little  less  than  no  time.  Eat  and  whisper  as  much 
as  you  please,  but — 

"  Don't  smoke,"  put  in  George. 

"  Oh,  Moses !"  ejaculated  the  troopers  in  subdued 
tones. 

"  An  Indian  will  smell  smoke  from  a  pipe  or  a 
camp-fire  a  long  distance,"  added  George. 


ANOTHER    FEATHER    FOK   BOfi's   CAP.         253 

"Then  keep  your  pipes  in  your  pockets,  where 
they  can't  do  any  mischief/'  said  Bob. — "  George, 
I'd  like  to  take  a  look  at  that  camp." 

George  at  once  led  the  way  up  the  hill,  but  when 
lie  neared  the  top  he  said  in  a  whisper, 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  trust  to  my  eyes  instead 
of  your  own  ;  not  but  that  you  can  see  as  far  as  I 
can,  but  you  might  be  a  little  careless  in  handling 
that  screen,  and  the  least  false  motion  on  your  part 
would  be  seen  by  that  lookout,  whose  eyes  are  as 
good  as  a  telescope." 

"  All  right !"  replied  Bob,  who  wondered  what 
he  should  have  done  if  George  had  not  been  there 
to  advise  him.  "What  shall  we  do?" 

"  Let  me  take  another  look,  and  then  I  will  talk 
to  you." 

So  saying,  George  crept  back  to  the  top  of  the 
hill  and  looked  under  his  screen  as  before.  It  was 
rapidly  growing  dark,  but  he  could  see  that  the 
sentry  still  kept  his  position,  and  that  the  camp- 
fre  was  burning  brightly. 

"  They  do  not  stand  in  the  least  fear  of  pursuit/7 
said  he  as  he  backed  down  to  Bob's  side,  "  but  they 
have  taken  measures  to  prevent  surprise,  as  they 
always  do  when  they  are  on  the  war-path." 


254  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

"  How  long  do  you  suppose  that  sentry  will  stay 
there?" 

"Just  as  long  as  his  friends  stay  in  the  gully. 
I  do  not  mean  by  that  that  this  particular  Indian 
will  act  as  lookout  all  the  time,  but  that  some 
member  of  the  party  will  be  constantly  on  the 
watch." 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  decide  upon 
a  plan  of  operations,  and  this  took  a  goo'd  deal  of 
hard  thinking,  for  there  was  a  good  deal  depend 
ing  upon  it.  George  made  the  most  of  the  sugges 
tions,  and  Bob  accepted  every  one  of  them  without 
argument.  The  camp  was  to  be  attacked  as  soon  as 
they  could  get  within  reach  of  it:  both  were  agreed 
upon  that.  Bob  advised  a  surround,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  escape  of  any  of  the  Indians;  but 
George  objected,  urging  as  a  reason  for  his  objec 
tions  that  no  one  but  an  Indian  could  work  his 
way  through  those  thick  bushes  and  trees  without 
making  a  good  deal  of  noise,  and  that  would  knock 
the  whole  thing  in  the  head. 

"  Don't  be  too  ambitious,"  said  he.  "  Don't  try 
to  grab  too  big  a  handful,  and  so  run  the  risk  of 
losing  everything.  Keep  your  men  near  you,  so 
that  you  can  have  an  eye  on  every  one  of  them. 


Look  out  for  the  boys;  and  if  by  so  doing  you 
give  the  Indians  a  chance  to  escape,  as  you  will 
most  likely,  let  them  go  and  welcome." 

An  immediate  advance  having  been  resolved 
upon,  and  the  part  that  each  man  was  to  play 
in  the  coming  fight  (provided  the  Indians  decided 
to  make  a  fight  of  it)  having  been  thoroughly  dis 
cussed,  Bob  and  his  companion  returned  to  the 
place  where  they  had  left  the  troopers.  The  former 
issued  his  orders  in  a  few  brief  words,  and  in  a  very 
short  space  of  time  eight  barefooted  men,  armed  only 
with  their  carbines  and  revolvers,  were  drawn  up  in 
line  ready  to  do  his  further  bidding ;  while  the  four 
troopers  who  were  to  be  left  behind  to  hold  the  horses 
and  to  take  care  of  the  sabres,  shoes  and  stockings 
which  their  lucky  comrades  had  thrown  upon  the 
ground,  listened  with  as  good  grace  as  they  could 
to  a  few  parting  words  from  their  corporal. 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  th :  latter,  "  keep  quiet  and 
don't  smoke.  We  have  been  following  the  trail  of 
only  five  Indians,  but  we  don't  know  how  many  may 
have  joined  them  since  they  went  into  camp;  so  you 
must  hold  yourselves  in  readiness  for  any  emergen 
cy.  Keep  a  good  lookout  for  the  signal,  and  if  you 
don't  see  it  by  the  time  the  moon  rises,  which  will  be 


256  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

about  midnight,  take  care  of  yourselves.  Draw  as 
straight  a  course  for  the  column  as  you  can,  and  tell 
the  boys,  when  you  find  them,  that  the  reds  got  the 
best  of  us  while  we  were  trying  to  do  our  duty.  Good 
bye. — Lead  on,  George." 

Although  our  hero  had  passed  his  life  amid  scenes 
of  danger,  and  more  than  once  listened  to  the  sound 
of  hostile  bullets  (that  was  during  the  "  neighbor 
hood  row  "  of  which  we  have  spoken  in  the  first 
volume  of  this  series),  he  had  never  before  taken 
part  in  a  scout  after  Indians,  and  it  may  be  readily 
imagined  that  Bob's  parting  words  did  not  serve  to 
encourage  him  in  any  great  degree.  Bob  seemed  to 
think  that  there  was  a  possibility  that  their  attempt 
ed  surprise  might  end  in  utter  defeat.  The  bare 
thought  was  enough  to  make  George's  hair  stand 
on  end,  but  it  did  not  make  him  lose  any  of  the 
sympathy  he  felt  for  the  boy-captives  or  falter  in 
his  resolve  to  do  all  he  could  toward  effecting  their 
release.  In  obedience  to  Bob's  order  to  "  lead  on  " 
he  raised  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder  and  glided  off  into 
the  darkness,  the  troopers  following  in  single  file. 
Before  he  had  marched  half  a  mile  Bob  hurried  up 
and  placed  himself  by  his  side. 

"  Say,  George,"  he  whispered,  "you  are  not  going 


ANOTHER    FEATHER    FOR   BOB*S   CAP.        257 

toward  the  camp.  If  you  follow  this  course,  you 
will  miss  it  by  half  a  mile  or  more." 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  toward  the  camp,"  was  the 
reply.  "  We  must  circle  around  so  as  to  come  up 
in  the  rear  of  that  sentry,  who,  as  I  told  you,  will 
stay  on  the  top  of  that  hill  as  long  as  his  friends 
stay  in  the  gully." 

"Do  you  think  we  can  capture  him  without 
alarming  the  others?" 

"  We  are  not  going  to  try  ;  at  least,  I  shaVt 
advise  it.  If  we  can  save  the  boys,  we  ought  to 
be  satisfied.  That  sentry  will  dig  out  as  soon  as 
he  scents  danger,  and  all  we  can  do  is  to  let  him 
go." 

"  How  awful  still  it  is,  and  how  fearful  dark  !" 
continued  Bob.  "I  hope  you  won't  get  confused 
and  miss  your  way." 

"There  is  no  danger  of  that,"  replied  George 
confidently.  "  I  can  see  the  stars,  and  they  are  as 
good  as  a  compass  to  me.  I  have  often  travelled 
by  them,  and  they  have  never  fooled  me  yet." 

"Where  are  the  wolves,  I  wonder?"  said  Bob, 

who  was  so   impatient  and  so  highly  excited  that 

he  could  not  long  hold  his  peace.     "  They  keep  up 

their   unearthly  howls  every  night  when  we  Avish 

17 


258  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

them  a  thousand  miles  away,  but  now,  when  a  yelp 
from  one  of  them  would  be  a  relief,  they  don't  put 
in  an  appearance." 

"And  I  am  glad  of  it,"  said 'George.  "Don't 
you  know  that  a  pack  of  wolves  are  the  best 
sentries  a  camping-party  can  have?" 

Yes,  Bob  said  he  was  aware  of  that  fact. 

"  Well,"  continued  George,  "  don't  you  see  that 
the  little  breeze  there  is  stirring  is  blowing  from 
us  toward  the  camp?  If  there  were  any  wolves 
around,  they  would  probably  be  on  the  other  side 
of  the  gully,  for  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time  for 
them  to  prowl  around  here  among  these  sandhills, 
where  they  couldn't  find  even  a  rabbit  to  eat.  The 
moment  they  caught  our  wind  they  would  scamper 
off,  and  then  '  Good-bye,  prisoners.'  I  wish  I  knew 
where  those  Indians  have  staked  out  their  ponies, 
for  I  stand  more  in  fear  of  them  than  I  do  of  that 
sentry.  If  we  should  get  to  windward  of  them, 
they  would  kick  up  a  rumpus  directly." 

The  longer  Bob  talked  with  George  the  more 
clearly  the  difficulties  attending  his  undertaking 
seemed  to  stand  but  before  him,  and  the  greater 
grew  his  anxiety  and  impatience.  If  his  attempt 
to  surprise  the  Indian  camp  failed,  there  was  no 


ANOTHER    FEATHER    FOR   BOB^S    CAP.         259 

telling  when  Mr.  Wentworth's  boys  would  be  heard 
of  again.  If  it  suited  their  captors  to  spare  their 
lives,  they  would  doubtless  be  sold  to  some  band 
who  lived  at  a  great  distance  from  the  agency,  and 
who  would  take  the  greatest  pains  to  keep  their  ex 
istence  a  profound  secret.  If  they  were  ever  given 
up  at  all,  it  would  only  be  after  that  particular  band 
had  been  soundly  thrashed  for  some  outrage,  and 
then  they  would  be  brought  forward  as  an  element 
in  the  "  peace  negotiations,"  their  captors  demand 
ing  a  heavy  ransom  and  taking  great  credit  to  them 
selves  for  surrendering  them.  But  this  might  not 
happen  for  years,  and  during  that  time  a  great  many 
things  might  happen  to  the  boys.  They  might  be 
come  so  completely  broken  down  by  cruel  treatment 
that  their  death  would  be  a  blessing,  or  else  so 
thoroughly  infatuated  with  the  Indian  mode  of 
life  that,  if  left  to  themselves,  they  would  choose 
to  go  back  to  the  wigwams  of  their  savage  masters 
rather  than  return  to  the  home  of  their  father. 

"  It's  now  or  never,"  said  Bob  to  himself  after 
he  had  thought  the  matter  over.  "  I  don't  wonder 
that  Mr.  Wentworth  feels  so  spiteful,  for  if  these 
Indians  are  not  killed  during  this  scout,  they  will 
never  be  punished  for  what  they  have  done  to  him. 


260  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

The  government  is  too  tender-hearted  to  touch 
them,  and  if  Mr.  Wentworth  takes  the  law  into 
his  own  hands,  he  will  be  sure  to  suffer  for  it. 
They  will  go  back  to  their  agency  to  grow  fat  on 
government  grub  and  be  kept  warm  in  winter  by 
government  blankets ;  and  their  agent,  in  order  to 
prevent  an  investigation  that  might  take  a  few 
dollars  out  of  his  pocket,  will  be  ready  to  swear 
that  they  have  never  been  off  their  reservation. 
I  wonder  how  he  would  feel  if  he  saw  his  own 
children  carried  into  captivity  ?" 

For  two  long  hours  the  weary  troopers  continued 
the  march,  stopping  for  rest  only  when  Bob  and 
George  climbed  some  sandhill  to  reconnoitre  the 
ground  before  them.  The  deep  silence  that  brood 
ed  over  the  Staked  Plains  was  almost  oppressive. 
The  bare  feet  of  the  troopers  gave  out  no  sound  as 
they  sank  into  the  yielding  sand,  and  all  that  could 
be  heard  was  their  labored  breathing  as  they  walk 
ed  behind  their  leader,  trusting  implicitly  to  his 
guidance.  They  never  uttered  a  word,  but  Bob's 
impatience  and  nervousness  would  have  kept  his 
tongue  in  constant  motion  had  it  not  been  for 
George,  who  gave  him  an  energetic  prod  in  the 
ribs  whenever  he  showed  a  disposition  to  become 


ANOTHER   FEATHER   FOR    BOB?S   CAP.        261 

colloquial.  He  felt  that  he  must  do  something 
pretty  soon  or  sink  under  his  burden  of  responsi 
bility,  which  seemed  to  grow  heavier  the  longer  he 
walked ;  consequently,  when  George  stopped  all  of 
a  sudden  and  silently  pointed  his  finger  at  a  dense 
wall  of  trees  that  ran  across  their  path,  his  delight 
knew  no  bounds.  The  ravine  in  which  the  In 
dians  were  encamped  was  close  in  front  of  them. 
The  murmuring  of  the  waterfall  which  came  up 
from  its  wooded  depths  was  a  pleasant  sound  to 
his  ears,  but  he  and  his  troopers  had  much  to 
do  before  they  could  quench  their  thirst  at  that 
rippling  stream. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

HE    WINS    IT    FAIKLY. 

A  S  it  was  not  necessary  to  waste  any  precious 
-fr"  time  in  giving  verbal  orders,  a  complete  code 
of  signals  having  been  decided  upon  before  they 
left  their  horses,  George  at  once  threw  himself 
upon  his  hands  and  knees,  and  worked  his  way 
along  the  edge  of  the  bluff  until  he  reached  a 
position  directly  above  the  camp,  the  location  of 
which  was  pointed  out  by  a  little  blaze,  scarcely 
larger,  apparently,  than  the  flame  of  a  candle.  He 
looked  in  vain  for  the  sentry,  and  would  have  giv 
en  something  handsome  if  there  had  been  some  one 
at  hand  to  tell  him  just  where  he  was. 

"  If  he  still  holds  his  position  on  the  top  of  that 
sandhill,  we  are  all  right,"  said  George  to  himself, 
"but  if  he  has  taken  the  alarm,  we  are  all  wrong. 
In  that  case  the  Indians  have  done  one  of  two 
things:  they  have  either  made  ready  to  ambush 

262 


HE    WINS    IT   FAIKLY.  263 

us,  or  else  they  have  fled,  taking  their  prisoners 
with  them.  Well,  we  shall  soon  know,  for  here 
goes  for  the  fight  that  none  of  us  may  ever  come 
out  of  alive." 

As  these  thoughts  passed  through  George's  mind 
he  seized  Bob's  waist-belt  and  gave  it  two  jerks, 
which  meant  "  Follow  me."  Then  he  crept  back 
along  the  line,  and  as  he  passed  each  trooper 
he  took  him  by  the  arm  and  pulled  him  around, 
so  that  his  head  pointed  toward  the  camp-fire. 
This  meant  a  movement  by  the  right  flank.  Af 
ter  this  he  and  Bob  placed  themselves  in  the  cen 
tre  of  the  line,  the  men  giving  way  right  and  left 
to  make  room  for  them,  and  at  a  given  signal  Bob 
stuck  his  elbow  into  the  ribs  of  the  trooper  to  the 
left  of  him,  while  George  in  a  similar  manner  ad 
monished  the  one  on  the  right  of  himself;  and  the 
advance  began,  the  guide  being  centre.  We  mean 
by  this  that  the  men  on  Bob's  left  kept  themselves 
in  their  proper  place  in  line  by  touching  the  shoul 
der  of  the  man  next  on  their  right,  while  those  on 
George's  right  hand  kept  within  easy  reach  of  the 
men  next  on  their  left,  each  member  of  the  line 
moving  no  whit  slower  or  faster  than  the  guides 
in  the  centre,  Bob  and  George.  If  they  stopped 


264  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

and  listened  and  tried  to  peer  through  the  bushes 
in  front  of  them  to  obtain  a  view  of  the  camp,  the 
whole  line  stopped  and  listened  and  peered.  When 
the  guides  advanced  the  troopers  did  the  same, 
their  movements  being  conducted  without  a  whis 
per,  and  with  such  extreme  caution  that  scarcely  a 
leaf  was  heard  to  rustle.  It  took  them  almost  an 
hour  to  descend  the  bluff,  which  was  probably 
not  more  than  a  hundred  feet  in  height,  but  the 
sight  that  greeted  them  when  the  final  halt  was 
made  more  than  repaid  them  for  all  their  toil. 
They  had  crept  up  within  less  than  a  dozen  yards 
of  the  fire,  and  the  camp  and  all  its  inmates  were 
in  plain  vie\v  of  them. 

Their  first  care  was  to  find  the  boys,  and  the  next 
to  ascertain  the  number  and  position  of  their  adver 
saries.  The  boys  were  there,  lying  side  by  side  on 
a  bed  of  leaves,  with  their  arms  thrown  around  each 
other,  and  wrapped  in  slumber  as  peaceful,  appar 
ently,  as  ever  came  to  their  eyes  while  they  were 
safe  under  their  father's  roof.  Every  one  of  the 
troopers  shut  his  lips  tightly  at  the  sight  of  them, 
and  half  a  dozen  cocked  carbines  were  pointed  over 
their  unconscious  heads,  ready  to  send  to  kingdom- 
come  the  first  thing  in  the  shape  of  a  Kiowa  that 


HE   WINS   IT   FAIRLY.  265 

dared  approach  them.  They  were  not  protected  in 
any  way  from  the  night  air  save  by  the  branches 
of  the  trees  which  waved  gently  above  them,  while 
every  one  of  the  four  Indians  who  were  lying 
around  them  was  wrapped  up  head  and  ears  in 
a  quilt  or  blanket  which  he  had  stolen  during 
the  raid. 

One  sweeping  glance  was  enough  to  enable  Bob 
and  George  to  take  in  all  these  little  details,  and  it 
is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  they  were  highly 
elated  over  the  promise  of  success  which  the  situa 
tion  seemed  to  hold  out  to  them.  Bob  would  have 
been  a  little  better  satisfied  if  he  could  have  seen 
any  way  of  taking  the  Indians  alive,  and  so  making 
a  "  finished  job  of  it,"  as  he  afterward  told  his  friend 
George;  but,  knowing  that  this  was  entirely  beyond 
his  power,  he  was  about  to  give  the  signal  to  ad 
vance  when  a  most  unexpected  interruption  occur 
red.  They  heard  the  snapping  of  twigs  behind  them, 
accompanied  by  a  slight  rustling  among  the  leaves, 
such  as  might  be  made  by  some  heavy  body  work 
ing  its  way  cautiously  through  the  thick  under 
growth.  The  astonished  troopers  hugged  the  ground 
closely,  holding  their  breath  in  suspense ;  and  in  a 
second  more,  without  a  single  footstep  being  audible, 


266  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

the  bushes  parted  and  the  form  of  an  Indian  war 
rior  could  be  dimly  seen  through  the  darkness. 

"  Beyond  a  doubt  it  is  the  sentry  coming  in  to 
call  his  relief/'  thought  Bob.  "Now,  how  am  I 
going  to  act?  Shall  I  let  him  go  into  the  carnp, 
or  not?" 

Without  pausing  an  instant,  the  Indian,  all  un 
conscious  of  danger,  approached  the  line,  and  might 
have  passed  through  it  between  Bob  and  Carey  with 
out  discovering  anything  to  excite  his  suspicions,  had 
not  the  former,  acting  upon  the  impulse  of  the  mo 
ment,  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  not  go  back 
to  his  comrades  without  at  least  one  prisoner  to  re 
ward  him  for  his  long  and  tiresome  scout.  Throw 
ing  out  his  arm,  he  caught  the  warrior  around  the 
legs  and  lifting  him  from  the  ground  threw  him 
upon  his  back.  He  fell  across  Carey  and  Loring, 
both  of  whom  turned  like  lightning  and  seized 
him,  one  trying  to  secure  his  arms,  so  that  he  could 
not  draw  a  weapon,  and  the  other  taking  him  by 
the  throat.  Everything  was  done  quickly,  but  not 
quickly  enough  to  shut  off  the  wild  yell  with  which 
the  captive  Indian  awoke  the  echoes  of  the  gully. 
Seeing  that  all  further  attempts  at  concealment  were 
useless,  Bob  and  George  jumped  to  their  feet. 


HE   WINS    IT   FAIRLY.  267 

"  Forward  with  a  cheer  I"  yelled  the  former. 
"Cover  the  boys,  everybody." 

This  last  order  was  hardly  necessary,  for  each 
individual  member  of  the  squad  had  secretly  re 
solved  to  do  that  very  thing,  leaving  his  compan 
ions  to  act  as  they  pleased. 

The  Indians  were  wide  awake  and  moving  be 
fore  their  unlucky  comrade's  yell  had  fairly  left 
his  lips.  So  quickly  did  they  spring  to  their 
feet  that  the  troopers  might  have  thought,  if  they 
had  been  allowed  time  to  think  at  all,  that  the 
savages  had  been  merely  keeping  up  an  appearance 
of  sleep,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  jump  from  their  blank 
ets  at  the  very  first  note  of  alarm.  So  well  school 
ed  were  they,  and  so  ready  to  act,  and  to  act  quickly 
and  intelligently  in  any  emergency,  that  they  did 
not  hesitate  an  instant.  They  did  not  even  look 
to  see  from  which  way  the  danger  that  threatened 
them  was  coming,  but  made  a  simultaneous  rush  for 
their  captives,  intending,  no  doubt,  to  carry  them 
away  if  they  could,  or  to  kill  them  if  they  found 
themselves  surrounded  so  that  they  could  not  escape. 
But  no  Indian's  hand  touched  those  boys  again  that 
night.  Three  of  them  fell  dead  before  they  had 
fairly  left  their  tracks,  and  the  other,  taking  warn- 


268  GEORGE  AT  THE   FORT. 

ing  by  their  fate,  dived  into  the  bushes  in  much  the 
same  way  that  a  boy  takes  a  "  header  "  from  a  log, 
and  got  safely  off,  in  spite  of  the  bullets  which  whis 
tled  about  his  ears  and  scattered  the  leaves  all  over 
him.  The  troopers  knew  that  he  had  got  off  un 
hurt,  because  there  was  no  blood  on  the  trail  which 
George  took  up  the  next  morning  and  followed  to 
the  place  where  the  Indians  had  left  their  horses — a 
little  glade  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  camp 
in  which  grass  was  abundant  and  water  easy  of 
access. 

George  at  once  made  his  way  to  the  side  of  the 
captives,  who  were  sitting  up  on  their  bed  of  leaves, 
rubbing  their  eyes  and  looking  about  in  a  bewilder 
ed  sort  of  way,  and  throwing  his  arm  around  them 
spoke  soothing  and  encouraging  words  in  their  ears; 
while  Bob,  after  ordering  one  of  his  men  to  mend 
the  fire,  seized  a  brand  from  it  and  ran  back  to  see 
what  had  become  of  Carey  and  Loring.  The  fight 
was  over,  and  Carey  was  growling  lustily  over  a 
wound  in  his  arm  which  the  slippery  savage  had 
inflicted  upon  him,  having  managed  in  some  mys 
terious  way  to  gain  momentary  possession  of  his 
knife;  but  Loring  was  unharmed  and  the  Indian 
was  insensible.  He  had  been  knocked  out  of 


HE   WINS   IT    FAIRLY.  269 

time  by  a  vicious  whack  from  the  butt  of  a  car 
bine  held  in  the  hands  of  the  enraged  Carey.  The 
blow  was  not,  however,  as  effective  as  the  trooper 
intended  it  should  be,  for  it  had  expended  a  good 
deal  of  its  power  upon  the  bushes  which  happened 
to  be  in  the  way,  and  instead  of  sending  the  Indian 
out  of  the  world  altogether,  it  had  only  stunned  him. 
He  was  powerless  now.  His  hands  were  securely 
confined  by  Loring's  carbine-sling,  and  the  latter, 
having  passed  the  Indian's  blanket  under  his  arms 
and  brought  the  ends  together  behind  his  back,  was 
ready  to  drag  his  captive  into  camp. 

"  I  am  no  slouch — there  isn't  a  boy  in  the  troop, 
young  or  old,  who  can  take  my  measure  on  the 
ground — but  if  this  fellow  gave  us  a  fair  specimen 
of  an  Indian's  way  of  rough-and-tumble  fighting, 
I  don't  want  to  get  hold  of  any  more  Indians. — He 
was  a  hard  one,  wasn't  he  ?"  said  Loring,  appealing 
to  his  wounded  comrade,  who  grunted  out  an  em 
phatic  assent.  "  He  didn't  seem  to  be  so  very  strong, 
but  he  was  just  a  trifle  quicker  than  chain-light 
ning,  and  as  slippery  and  wiry  as — as —  Why,  an 
eel  isn't  nowhere  alongside  of  him." 

"  I  wish  I  had  whacked  him  over  the  head  before 
he  gave  me  this  prod,"  said  Carey,  shaking  his  fist 


270  GEOKGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

at  the  unconscious  object  of  his  wrath.  "  It's  my 
sword-arm  too,  and  I'll  just  bet  that  the  doctor 
won't  let  me  go  on  another  scout  for  a  mouth." 

With  Bob's  aid  the  Indian  was  dragged  into 
camp,  and  thrown  down  there  as  if  he  had  been 
a  sack  of  corn.  The  fire  was  burning  brightly  (an 
Indian  builds  a  small  fire  and  gets  close  to  it,  while 
a  white  man  builds  a  big  one  and  backs  away  from 
it),  the  bodies  of  the  slain  warriors  had  been  drag 
ged  into  the  bushes  out  of  sight,  and  their  weapons, 
saddles  and  bridles,  which  the  troopers  intended  to 
carry  back  to  the  fort  with  them  as  trophies  of  their 
prowess,  had  been  collected  and  deposited  in  a  safe 
place. 

George  had  been  devoting  himself  to  the  boys, 
who  did  not  seem  to  be  at  all  afraid,  and  were  by 
no  means  so  excited  as  he  was.  Their  astonishing 
courage  called  forth  the  unbounded  admiration  of 
the  troopers,  and  the  pert  answers  they  gave  to  the 
questions  that  were  asked  them  made  them  smile. 

"  Say,  Bob,  if  you  want  to  see  what  Texas  boys 
are  made  of,  come  here,"  said  George.  "  The  older 
one  answers  to  the  name  of  Sheldon,  and  the  lit 
tle  fellow  is  Tommy.  Sheldon  says  that  if  his 
brother  had  been  a  little  older  and  stronger  the 


HE   WINS   IT   FAIRLY.  271 

Indians  never  would  have  taken  them  to  their 
village,  for  they  would  have  killed  them  and  made 
their  escape." 

"  Humph  !"  grunted  Carey,  whose  wound  seemed 
to  put  him  in  very  bad  humor. 

"  What  makes  you  say  that  ?"  demanded  Bob, 
turning  upon  him  somewhat  sharply.  "Don't 
you  know  that  such  things  have  been  done  before 
now?" 

"By  boys?"  asked  Carey. 

"Yes,  by  boys,"  replied  Bob. 

"  No,  I  don't  know  it,"  said  the  wounded 
trooper. 

"  It's  a  matter  of  history,  any  way,"  said  George. 
"Two  brothers,  John  and  Henry  Johnson,  aged 
respectively  thirteen  and  eleven  years  of  age,  were 
captured  by  two  Delaware  Indians  on  Short  Creek, 
West  Virginia,  in  October,  1788.  That  very  night 
they  killed  their  captors  by  shooting  one  and  tom 
ahawking  the  other." 

"  Did  they  get  away  ?"  asked  Sheldon  eagerly. 

"  Yes,  sir,  they  got  away.  Now,  I  want  to  ask 
you  a  few  questions — and,  Bob,  I  want  you  to  pay 
attention  to  his  replies. — Where  have  you  been  to 
get  so  much  mud  on  your  boots?" 


272  GEORGE   AT   THE   FOKT. 

"  Why,  back  there  in  the  plains  we  came  to  a 
little  bayou,  and  the  banks  of  it  was  all  muddy; 
and  the  Injins  they  pulled  us  off  the  ponies  and 
made  us  walk  into  all  that  there  mud,  and  then 
they  laughed  at  us  because  we  didn't  like  it,"  an 
swered  the  boy  ;  and  his  ludicrous  display  of  rage 
over  the  indignity  that  had  been  put  upon  himself 
and  his  brother  made  the  troopers  smile  again. 

"  Go  on/7  said  George.  "  What  did  you  do 
next?" 

"  Well,  they  took  us  out  of  the  mud  after  a 
while,  the  Injins  did,  and  then  one  of  'em  he  took 
us  on  a  pony  and  rode  off  by  himself  until  he  found 
this  party ;  and  we've  been  with  them  ever  since." 

"What  did  I  tell  you?"  exclaimed  George,  hit 
ting  Bob  a  back-handed  slap  on  the  chest.  "  What 
do  you  think  of  my  guessing  now  ?" 

"  I  think  you  are  pretty  good  at  it,"  answered 
Bob.  "  And  seeing  you  are,  I  wish  you  would 
try  your  hand  in  a  new  line.  Suppose  you  take  a 
couple  of  men  with  you,  and  all  our  canteens  and 
coffee-pots,  and  guess  your  way  down  the  bluff  to 
the  stream,  and  bring  us  back  a  supply  of  water  ? 
We'll  have  a  good  fire  going  by  the  time  you  re 
turn,  and  then  we'll  boil  a  cup  of  coffee." 


HE    WINS   IT   FAIRLY.  273 

"  I'll  do  it,"  said  George  readily. 

"And  while  you  are  guessing,  guess  at  the 
probable  movements  of  that  Indian  who  got 
away,"  continued  Bob.  "  Will  he  be  likely  to 
trouble  us  to-night?" 

"  He  will  not,"  was  the  confident  reply.  "  Our 
party  is  too  large.  He  will  make  the  best  of  his 
way  home,  you  may  depend  upon  it." 

While  George  and  the  two  troopers  whom  Bob 
detailed  to  accompany  him  were  gone  after  the 
water,  those  who  remained  in  camp  were  not  idle. 
One  bound  up  Carey's  wounded  arm,  another 
brought  in  a  bountiful  supply  of  fire-wood,  others 
stood  guard,  and  one  assisted  the  corporal  in  col 
lecting  a  quantity  of  leaves  and  light  branches,  and 
went  out  with  him  to  signal  to  the  four  men  who 
had  been  left  behind  with  the  horses.  They  read 
ily  found  the  hill  which  had  served  as  a  lookout- 
station  for  the  warrior  who  was  now  a  captive  in 
their  hands ;  and  they  knew  it  when  they  found  it, 
for  there  was  the  pile  of  bushes  through  which  he 
had  looked  while  watching  the  trail,  and  the  print 
of  his  body  in  the  sand.  A  fire  was  speedily  light 
ed  on  the  summit,  and  kept  burning  brightly  to 
guide  the  absent  troopers  to  the  captured  camp. 

18  » 


274  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

That  little  beacon  shining  through  the  darkness 
must  have  been  a  welcome  sight  to  their  eyes, 
for  it  told  of  the  complete  success  of  their  com 
panions  and  of  the  rest  and  water  that  were  to 
be  found  where  they  were. 

When  George  returned  to  the  camp  after  nearly 
half  an  hour's  absence  he  found  the  fire  blazing 
cheerily,-  and  the  two  rescued  boys,  who  seemed 
almost  exhausted  by  their  long  journey,  sleeping 
soundly  beside  it,  covered  by  a  quilt  which  some 
kind-hearted  trooper  had  thrown  over  their  shoul 
ders.  The  troopers  were  laughing  heartily  but 
silently  at  Carey  and  Loring,  who  seemed  to  bear 
their  merriment  with  very  bad  grace. 

"  What's  the  matter  now  ?"  inquired  George  as 
he  distributed  the  canteens  among  them  and  placed 
the  coffee-pots  beside  the  fire. 

"  Come  here  and  see  for  yourself/'  replied  Lor 
ing,  taking  George  by  the  arm  and  leading  him 
to  the  place  where  the  captive  Indian  lay,  all  the 
troopers  following  at  his  heels. 

"  Me  good  Injun/7  grunted  the  prisoner,  who 
seemed  to  have  recovered  his  senses. 

"  So  I  perceive/'  replied  George.  "  Good  In 
dians  steal  stock  and  carry  off  white  boys,  don't 


HE    WINS   IT   FAIRLY.  275 

they? — But  I  don't  see  anything  about  him  to 
laugh  at." 

"  Why,  he's  nothing  but  a  kid,"  exclaimed  Phil 
lips,  "and  yet  Carey  and  Loring  are  both  willing 
to  confess  that  it  was  all  they  could  do  to  handle 
him.  They  told  us  a  wonderful  story  about  the 
terrible  fight  they  had  before  they  could  tie  him, 
and  so  we  took  a  look  at  him,  expecting  to  find 
him  a  giant;  but  instead  of  that —  Well,  you 
can  see  that  lie's  only  a  pappoose." 

George  looked  down  at  the  boyish  face  and 
slender  figure  of  the  young  warrior,  then  at  the 
two  grizzly  old  veterans  who  had  fought  so  hard 
to  capture  him,  and  felt  more  than  half  inclined 
to  laugh  himself.  Either  one  of  them  could  have 
strangled  him  with  a  finger  and  a  thumb  if  he 
could  have  got  hold  of  him;  but  getting  a  good 
hold  was  the  trouble.  An  Indian  makes  up  in 
suppleness  and  activity  what  he  lacks  in  strength, 
and  it  takes  a  good  man  to  handle  one.  Of  course 
the  troopers  were  sorry  for  their  wounded  comrade, 
but  they  had  "  got  a  joke  "  on  him,  and  it  was  a 
long  time  before  he  heard  the  last  of  it. 

The  men  who  had  been  left  to  take  care  of  the 
horses  arrived  in  about  an  hour,  and  then  George 


276  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

had  another  disagreeable  task  to  perform,  which 
was  to  pilot  the  animals  down  to  the  water  and 
find  a  feeding-ground  for  them.  Being  entirely 
unacquainted  with  the  gully  and  surrounding  coun 
try,  it  took  him  a  long  time  to  do  this ;  but  he  ac 
complished  it  at  last,  in  spite  of  the  darkness,  and 
about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  was  at  liberty 
to  go  to  his  blanket. 

The  troopers  slept  later  than  usual  the  next 
morning,  for  they  were  all  tired  out;  but  Bob's 
loud  call  of  "  Catch  up !"  brought  them  to  their 
feet  before  the  sun  had  risen  high  enough  to  send 
any  of  his  rays  into  the  camp.  As  there  was  a 
good  deal  to  be  done  and  but  little  time  to  do  it 
in,  four  details  were  made,  and  certain  duties  as 
signed  to  each.  The  first,  which  consisted  solely 
of  Loring,  was  ordered  to  dish  up  a  cup  of  coffee 
in  a  little  less  than  no  time;  George  and  Phillips 
were  instructed  to  follow  up  the  trail  of  the  miss 
ing  Indian  and  see  where  it  led  to ;  Bob  and  a 
companion  bent  their  steps  toward  the  sandhill  to 
ascertain  the  whereabouts  of  the  main  body  of  the 
expedition ;  and  the  others  brought  in  the  horses 
and  gave  them  the  grain  that  was  left  in  the  sad 
dle-pockets. 


HE   WINS   IT   FAIRLY.  277 

Before  ascending  the  hill  Bob  and  his  compan 
ion  gathered  each  an  armful  of  dry  grass  and  weeds. 
These  were  deposited  upon  the  highest  part  of  the 
hill  and  lighted  by  a  match  which  Bob  struck  on 
his  coat-sleeve.  As  soon  as  the  blaze  was  fairly 
started,  but  before  the  whole  pile  was  ignited,  Bob 
smothered  it  by  throwing  on  more  grass  and  weeds; 
and  when  this  was  done  a  column  of  smoke  that 
could  be  seen  at  the  distance  of  fifty  miles  began 
to  rise  in  the  air. 

"Now  let  me  see,"  said  Bob,  pulling  out  the 
paper  which  Captain  Clinton  had  copied  from 
his  note-book  when  he  started  him  on  the  trail. 
"I  want  to  say,  'Where  are  you,  captain?'  and 
how  shall  I  say  it?" 

He  ran  his  eye  down  the  page  and  finally  found 
these  instructions : 

"  A  detached  party  desiring  to  ascertain  the  posi 
tion  of  the  main  body  will  signal  as  follows :  A  long 
smoke  of  a  minute's  duration  ;  three  short  smokes, 
followed  by  half  a  minute's  interval;  two  short 
smokes,  with  half  a  minute's  interval;  one  short 
smoke,  followed  immediately  by  a  long  one.  If 
the  signal  is  observed,  the  reply  will  be  the  same. 
If  no  reply  is  received  in  five  minutes,  repeat  from 


278  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

some  other  and,  if  possible,  higher  point,  and  so 
continue  until  an  answering  signal  is  seen." 

As  the  reader  may  not  quite  understand  this,  we 
will  tell  just  how  Bob  made  the  signal.  He  al 
lowed  the  column  of  smoke  to  ascend  just  one 
minute  by  his  watch,  then  took  a  blanket  from  his 
shoulder  and  with  a  quick  movement  threw  it  over 
the  smouldering  pile,  holding  two  of  the  corners 
tight  to  the  ground,  while  his  companion  held  the 
opposite  corners.  This,  of  course,  confined  the 
smoke  so  that  no  more  arose.  At  the  end  of  half 
a  minute  he  raised  the  blanket  three  times  in  quick 
succession,  and  three  balloon-shaped  clouds  floated 
off  over  the  sandhills.  Waiting  half  a  minute,  he 
lifted  the  blanket  twice,  and  two  more  little  clouds 
arose.  At  the  end  of  another  half  a  minute  he 
permitted  a  single  cloud  to  escape,  and  then  threw 
the  blanket  off  altogether;  whereupon  a  long, 
slender  column,  like  the  one  that  arose  when  the 
fire  was  first  started,  shot  up  into  the  air.  Then 
Bob  seated  himself  on  the  ground  and  waited 
rather  anxiously  for  a  reply ;  but  he  was  not  ob 
liged  to  wait  long.  Before  the  five  minutes  had 
elapsed  an  answering  smoke  was  seen;  and  though 
it  was  a  long  distance  off,  the  atmosphere  was  so 


HE    WINS    IT    FAIRLY.  279 

clear,  and  the  white  clouds  showed  so  plainly 
against  the  blue  sky,  that  the  signal  could  be 
plainly  read.  It  was  the  same  as  the  one  Bob 
had  just  sent  up,  and  so  he  knew  that  it  was  in 
tended  for  him. 

This  mode  of  signalling,  which  is  usually  called 
u  telegraphing  by  smokes,"  is  in  general  use  among 
the  Plains  Indians,  and  it  was  from  them  that  our 
army-officers  serving  on  the  border  caught  the  idea. 
Of  course  they  have  a  system  of  their  own,  which 
is  very  different  from  that  of  the  Indians.  The 
latter  cannot  read  an  army-signal,  and  neither  can 
the  officers,  with  all  their  striving  and  scheming, 
gain  a  key  that  will  enable  them  to  read  the  In 
dian  code.  It  is  as  much  of  a  mystery  as  the 
manner  in  which  a  chief  conducts  a  drill  of  his 
warriors  or  controls  them  in  battle  without  appear 
ing  to  hold  any  communication  with  them.  Both 
these  secrets  are  closely  guarded,  the  Indians  con 
sidering  that  it  would  be  "  bad  medicine  "  to  reveal 
them  to  the  white  man. 

"Did  you  see  the  exact  spot  from  which 
that  smoke  arose?"  Bob  asked  of  his  companion. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  trooper. 

"  Then  fix  it  in  your  mind,  so  that  you  can  point 


280  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

it  out  to  George  Ackerman.  Now  that  our  work 
is  done  we  will  go  back  to  camp." 

Breakfast  was  soon  despatched,  and  in  less  than 
half  an  hour  the  squad  was  again  on  the  move, 
three  of  the  troopers,  in  order  to  accommodate  the 
rescued  boys  and  the  Indian  captive,  being  obliged 
to  "  carry  double."  Their  route  lay  along  the  edge 
of  the  bluff,  within  easy  reach  of  water,  only  three 
halts  being  made — one  for  dinner,  and  two  for  the 
purpose  of  sending  up  signals  to  Captain  Clinton. 
As  his  replies,  which  were  promptly  made,  came 
from  the  same  place,  Bob  became  satisfied  that  the 
captain  was  waiting  for  him.  Of  course  this  caused 
much  speculation  among  the  troopers.  Had  the 
captain  given  up  the  pursuit,  or  had  he  overtaken 
and  scattered  the  thieves  and  recovered  Mr.  Went- 
worth's  stock?  Bob  was  inclined  to  hold  to  the 
latter  opinion. 

"  The  captain  is  a  hard  man  to  get  away  from 
when  he  once  makes  up  his  mind  for  business." 
said  he;  "and  I  just  know  that  he's  got  those 
cattle,  or  the  most  of  them.  If  he  has,  Mr.  Went- 
worth  is  all  right,  for  we  have  got  his  boys.  If 
your  theory  is  correct — and  I  begin  to  believe  it  is, 
for  everything  else  has  turned  out  just  as  you  said 


m 


TELEGRAPHING  BY  SMOKE. 


HE  WINS   IT   FAIRLY.  281 

it  would — Lieutenant  Earle  will  come  out  at  the 
little  end  of  the  horn,  won't  he?" 

"Some  officer  almost  always  has  to  do  that," 
answered  George.  "  But  the  lieutenant  will  have 
some  honor  reflected  upon  him,  if  he  doesn't  win 
any  for  himself,  for  it  was  a  portion  of  his  own 
troop,  commanded  by  one  of  his  own  non-com 
missioned  officers,  who  rescued  the  boys." 

About  two  hours  before  sunset  the  troopers  be 
gan  to  call  one  another's  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  sandhills,  among  which  they  had  been  march 
ing  all  day  long,  were  growing  less  in  number  and 
height,  and  to  congratulate  themselves  on  drawing 
near  to  their  journey's  end.  An  hour  later  they 
came  to  the  last  hill,  and  as  they  were  riding  by 
it  a  sentry  who  had  been  stationed  there  presented 
himself  to  their  view. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

"THKEE  CHEERS  FOR  THE  'BRINDLES'!" 

"  TT  ALLO,  Buel  !"  exclaimed  Bob,  recognizing 
in  the  sentry  one  of  his  own  company  boys, 
" you'll  let  us  in,  won't  you?" 

"  Well,  I  am  beat !"  replied  the  man.  "  Corporal, 
you're  a  brick.  Three  cheers  for  the  '  Brindles' !" 

He  stood  in  the  "  position  of  a  soldier,"  with  his 
carbine  at  a  "  carry,"  and  spoke  in  a  low  tone,  for 
he  knew  that  there  were  officers  with  field-glasses 
not  far  away,  and  that  he  had  no  business  to  ex 
change  compliments  with  anybody  after  this  fash 
ion  while  he  was  on  post.  But  when  he  saw  the 
captive  Indian  and  Mr.  Wentworth's  boys  he 
could  not  restrain  himself. 

"  Bob,  the  boys  ought  to  give  you  a  benefit,"  he 
added. 

"We've  got  something  to  show  for  this  scout, 
even  if  we  are  ' Brindles,'  haven't  we?"  said  the 
corporal,  holding  himself  very  stiffly  in  his  saddle 

282 


"THREE  CHEERS  FOR  THE  'BRINDLES'!"  283 

•ind  looking  straight  before  him,  so  as  not  to  "  give 
the  sentry  away."  "  Have  you  beaten  us  any  ?" 

"  Not  by  a  great  sight," 

"  What  have  you  done,  anyway  ?" 

"  We've  got  the  most  of  the  stock  back,  but  nary 
red.  Where's  Lieutenant  Earle?" 

"  Haven't  seen  him,"  answered  Bob. 

"  We  haven't  seen  him  either,  nor  have  we  heard 
from  him  since  that  courier  arrived." 

The  troopers  now  found  themselves  on  the  bor 
der  of  a  wide  plain,  whose  opposite  side  was 
bounded  by  a  long  line  of  willows,  which  fringed 
the  banks  of  a  water-course.  On  the  edge  of  the 
willows  were  gathered  the  members  of  the  main 
body,  who,  having  been  apprised  by  their  sentinels 
of  the  approach  of  Bob  and  his  party,  had  assem 
bled  to  see  them  come  in.  Bob  began  to  grow  ex 
cited  at  once.  He  and  his  men  had  performed  no 
ordinary  exploit,  and  so  impatient  was  he  to  have 
his  success  known  to  his  comrades  that  he  could 
not  wait  until  he  reached  the  camp  to  tell  his  story. 

"You  fellows  who  carry  double,  ride  out  there 
and  square  yourselves  around,  so  that  they  can  see 
that  we  have  not  returned  empty-handed,"  com 
manded  Bob,  who  forthwith  proceeded  to  ex- 


284  GEORGE   AT   THE   FOKT. 

ecute  his  own  order  by  placing  the  three  men 
who  "  carried  double  "  one  behind  the  other,  broad 
side  to  the  camp,  so  that  the  officers  with  their  field- 
glasses  could  observe  that  each  horse  had  two  riders 
on  his  back.  "  I  declare  I  feel  like  one  of  those 
old  Roman  conquerors — on  a  small  scale ;  but  in 
order  to  carry  out  the  role  I  ought  to  make  one 
end  of  a  lariat  fast  to  that  Indian's  neck  and  drag 
him  into  the  camp,  oughtn't  I  ?  That's  the  way 
the  Romans  used  to  do  with  their  captives,  only 
they  chained  them  to  their  chariot-wheels.  There 
you  are ! — Swing  your  caps,  you  kids,  and  holler, 
to  let  your  father  know  you  are  here." 

The  boys  obeyed  with  alacrity,  swinging  their 
caps  around  their  heads  and  laughing  and  shouting 
by  turns,  while  the  two  soldiers  behind  whom  they 
rode  raised  their  own  caps  on  the  muzzles  of  their 
carbines  and  joined  in  with  a  wild  soldier  yell. 
George  Acker  man  kept  watch  of  the  camp  through 
his  glass  to  note  the  movements  of  its  inmates  and 
make  reports  of  the  manner  in  which  this  demon 
stration  was  received  by  them. 

"  There's  the  captain,"  said  he.  "  He  is  coming 
out  in  front  of  the  men,  in  company  with  some 
of  the  officers.  Now  they  are  all  looking  at  us 


"THREE  CHEERS  FOR  THE  'BRINDLES'!"  285 

through  their  glasses.  Now  the  captain  has  taken 
down  his  glass  and  is  saying  something.  Here 
they  come!" 

It  was  evident  that  the  captain  had  reported  the 
result  of  his  observations,  for  as  George  uttered 
these  last  words  and  lowered  his  glass  the  men 
broke  into  a  run  and  dashed  across  the  plain,  rais 
ing  their  charging-yell  as  they  came. 

"You  fellows  who  carry  double,  take  the  post 
of  honor,"  commanded  Bob;  "ride  at  the  head 
of  the  squad. — Say,  boys,"  he  added,  facing  about 
in  his  saddle  and  speaking  to  the  men  behind  him, 
"  look  out  for  Went  worth.  There  was  a  look  in 
his  eye  the  last  time  I  saw  him  that  I  didn't  at  all 
like,  and  when  he  finds  out  that  we  have  captured 
one  of  the  Indians,  he  may — " 

"  There  he  comes  now !"  exclaimed  one  of  the 
troopers. 

Bob  looked  toward  the  camp,  and  saw  that  his 
man  had  not  been  mistaken.  Behind  the  troopers, 
who  were  still  running  forward  to  meet  their  re 
turning  comrades,  but  rapidly  overhauling  them 
with  every  jump  of  his  horse,  was  the  father  of 
the  rescued  boys.  He  rode  without  saddle,  bridle 
or  hat,  his  long  hair  was  streaming  straight  out  be- 


286  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

hind  him,  he  carried  in  his  hand  the  rifle  with 
which  he  had  done  such  deadly  work  while  he 
was  defending  his  home,  and  he  was  constantly 
digging  his  heels  into  the  sides  of  his  horse,  as  if 
he  were  trying  to  make  him  go  faster.  The  man 
could  have  but  one  object  in  view :  that  was  Bob's 
opinion,  and  it  must  have  been  Captain  Clinton's 
opinion  too,  judging  by  his  actions.  The  latter 
had  raised  both  hands  to  his  face  and  stood  with 
his  head  thrown  back,  as  if  he  were  shouting  out 
some  orders ;  but  if  he  gave  any  they  were  drown 
ed  in  the  lusty  cheers  of  the  approaching  troopers, 
who  ran  as  if  they  were  engaged  in  a  foot-race. 

"That  man  certainly  means  mischief,"  said 
George. 

"I  am  sure  of  it,"  replied  the  corporal.  "But 
I  should  act  in  just  the  same  way  if  I  were  in  his 
place.  I'd  put  an  end  to  that  Indian  in  spite  of 
all  the  soldiers  that  ever  wore  the  '  honored  blue ;' 
but  that,  I  know,  would  be  very  wrong,  for  this 
red  imp  is  one  of  the  government  wards,  and  no 
body  must  presume  to  lay  an  ugly  hand  on  him." 

"  What  would  be  done  with  Mr  Wentworth  if 
he  should  shoot  your  prisoner?"  asked  George. 

" '  What  would  be  done  with  him  ? ' "  repeated 


"  THREE   CHEERS    FOR   THE    '  BRINDLES  '  !"    287 

Bob,  bitterly.  "  Why,  he  would  be  put  in  arrest 
before  he  could  say  '  Jerusalem  I'  and  the  agent 
of  the  Kiowas  would  insist  on  his  being  tried  for 
murder,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  this  same 
Indian  was  one  of  the  party  that  burned  Mr. 
Wentworth's  house  and  carried  his  children  into 
captivity.  Why,  George,  unless  you  are  posted 
you  have  no  idea —  But  I  will  tell  you  a  short 
story  by  and  by.  Just  now  I  must  attend  to  our 
friend  Mr.  Wentworth.  Stand  by  me,  for  I  believe 
I  shall  need  a  helping  hand  before  I  get  through 
with  him." 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on  Bob  had 
kept  a  watchful  eye  upon  the  movements  of  Mr. 
Wentworth,  who  had  by  this  time  passed  the  troop 
ers  and  was  guiding  his  horse  so  as  to  come  up  on 
the  left  flank  of  Bob's  squad.  As  soon  as  the  lat 
ter  became  satisfied  that  this  was  the  man's  inten 
tion,  he  rode  out  of  the  line  and  placed  himself  be 
side  the  captive  Indian,  who  was  riding  on  Loring's 
horse  and  was  by  no  means  an  uninterested  spec 
tator  of  what  passed  before  him.  He  too  was 
keeping  his  gaze  directed  toward  Mr.  Wentworth, 
whom"  he  doubtless  recognized. 

"  White  man  very  angry — heap   mad — as    mad, 


288  GEOKGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

in  fact,  as  a  wet  hen,"  said  Bob,  trying  to  imitate 
an  Indian's  way  of  talking,  but  making  a  sad  mess 
of  it  in  his  excitement.  "  He's  mad  at  you  for  car 
rying  his  boys  off,  and  he's  going  to  shoot  you  dead 
— heap  dead — as  dead  as  a  door-nail ;  and  he'll  serve 
you  just  right,  too." 

"  I  hope  he  won't  miss  the  red  and  hit  me,"  said 
Loring. 

"  You  needn't  be  afraid  of  that,  for  these  Tex- 
ans  are  all  good  shots,"  answered  Bob;  adding  in 
a  lower  tone,  "  I'll  just  tell  you  what's  a  fact,  Lor 
ing:  I  wouldn't  interfere  with  him  if  I  could 
help  it." 

The  young  savage  understood  what  Bob  said, 
but  not  a  muscle  of  his  face  changed.  If  he  had 
been  an  old  warrior,  he  would  probably  have  be 
gun  his  death-chant;  but  having  performed  no 
deeds  of  which  he  could  boast,  he  remained  silent 
and  calmly  awaited  the  fate  that  would  have  been 
inevitable  had  it  not  been  for  George  Ackerman's 
skill  in  horsemanship. 

The  animal  on  which  Mr.  Wentworth  was  mount 
ed  was  evidently  accustomed  to  being  ridden  with 
out  a  bridle,  for  his  master  guided  him  with  the 
greatest  ease.  When  he  had  almost  reached  the 


"THKEE  CHEERS  FOR  THE  <  BRINDLES  ' !"  289 

squad  he  suddenly  swerved  from  his  course,  in 
obedience  to  a  signal  conveyed  to  him  by  a  quick 
movement  of  his  rider's  body,  and  galloping  swift 
ly  around  the  head  of  the  line  stopped  short  on  the 
other  flank.  By  this  unexpected  change  of  tactics 
the  enraged  father  had  gained  a  position  on  the  un 
guarded  side  of  the  prisoner,  and  if  he  had  acted 
as  soon  as  his  horse  came  to  a  standstill  he  would 
have  accomplished  his  purpose  in  spite  of  every 
thing;  but  he  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to 
talk  for  just  a  moment,  and  that  moment's  delay 
defeated  him.  Cocking  his  rifle  with  great  de 
liberation,  he  said  fiercely, 

"  You  have  eaten  salt  in  my  house,  you  have  slept 
by  my  fire,  you  have  drunk  from  my  spring  when 
you  were  thirsty,  you  Indian  dog,  and  now— 

When  the  man  had  gone  thus  far  rage  choked 
his  utterance,  and  he  could  not  say  another  word. 
He  drew  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  but  the  muzzle, 
instead  of  covering  the  head  of  the  Indian,  cover 
ed  the  person  of  George  Ackerman,  who  was  com 
ing  toward  him  with  all  the  speed  his  horse  could 
put  forth. 

The  boy  had  sprung  into  life  and  activity  the 
instant  he  witnessed  Mr.  Wentworth's  cunujng 

19 


290  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

manoeuvre,  for  he  knew  what  it  meant.  Giving 
a  pull  at  his  left  rein,  at  the  same  time  touching 
his  horse  lightly  with  the  spurs,  the  animal  wheeled 
like  a  flash  on  his  hind  feet,  and,  dashing  through 
the  line  behind  Bob  Owens  (some  of  the  troopers 
afterward  declared  that  he  jumped  clear  over  Bob's 
horse),  brought  his  rider  to  the  right  side  of  the 
Indian  just  in  time  to  intercept  the  deadly  aim. 
In  another  second  George  had  seized  the  rifle 
with  both  hands,  and  a  terrific  struggle  began  be 
tween  him  and  Mr.  Wentworth  for  the  possession 
of  the  weapon.  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell 
it  the  man,  having  no  stirrups  to  support  him,  was 
jerked  off  his  horse,  and  before  he  could  recover 
himself  and  plant  his  feet  firmly  on  the  ground 
the  rifle  was  twisted  out  of  his  grasp,  and  the 
bullet  contained  in  the  chamber  was  sent  whistling 
harmlessly  off  over  the  sandhills. 

"No  more  of  that!"  exclaimed  Bob,  who  rode 
up  just  half  a  minute  too  late  to  be  of  any  as 
sistance.  "Keep  quiet  now,  or  you'll  go  back  to 
camp  with  a  guard  over  you." 

"Mr.  Wentworth,"  said  George,  bending  down 
from  his  saddle  and  laying  his  hand  upon  the 
man's  shoulder,  "your  good  sense  must 


"THREE  CHEERS  FOR  THE  <  BRINDLES  ' !"  291 

tell  you  that  the  corporal  can't  stand  peaceably 
by  and  see  his  prisoner  shot.  What  are  you 
thinking  of?" 

"  Give  me  that  gun/7  panted  Mr.  Wentworth, 
who  was  white  to  the  lips  and  trembling  in  every 
limb.  "Til— I'll— " 

"You'll  do  nothing  but  behave  yourself,"  in 
terrupted  Bob.  "  You  can't  have  that  rifle  again 
until  Captain  Clinton  says  so,  for  you  don't  know 
how  to  act  when  you  have  it  in  your  hands;  you 
point  it  around  too  loose  and  reckless.  Haven't 
you  something  besides  revenge  to  think  of  now? 
Can't  you  see  that  we  have  brought  your  boys 
back  to  you  safe  and  sound?" 

The  man's  face  softened  at  once.  Tears  came 
to  his  eyes,  and  darting  quickly  around  Bob's 
horse  he  ran  up  to  his  children,  and,  pulling  them 
both  to  the  ground  at  once,  folded  them  in  his  arms. 
But  we  will  not  say  any  more  about  that  meeting, 
will  we?  The  joy  of  a  family  reunited  under 
circumstances  like  these  is  something  too  sacred 
to  be  intruded  upon  even  by  a  sympathizing  pen, 
isn't  it  ?  Even  the  troopers,  some  of  whom  had 
witnessed  many  an  affecting  scene,  could  not  stand 
it,  but  turned  away  their  heads  and  drew  their 


292  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

hands  hastily  across  their  eyes,  as  if  to  brush  away 
something  that  seemed  to  be  obscuring  their  vision. 
One  of  them  caught  Mr.  Wentworth's  horse,  and 
after  the  latter  had  mounted  and  taken  his  boys 
up  with  him,  one  in  front  and  the  other  behind, 
the  squad  continued  its  march  toward  the  camp. 

When  Bob  came  to  look  in  front  of  him,  he 
found  that  the  appearance  of  things  had  changed 
somewhat.  The  comrades  who  had  started  out  to 
meet  him  were  no  longer  advancing  in  a  compact 
body.  They  had  halted  and  drawn  themselves  up 
in  two  parallel  lines,  facing  each  other,  and  leav 
ing  room  enough  between  them  for  Bob  and  his 
squad  to  pass  through. 

"  Hallo !"  exclaimed  the  delighted  corporal. 
"The  boys  have  got  up  a  reception  for  us,  and 
we  must  meet  it  in  good  shape. — Attention,  squad ! 
Draw  sabres ! — Loring,  ride  on  ahead  with  Mr. 
Wentworth. — George,  come  up  on  my  right." 

When  these  orders  were  issued  the  men  promptly 
fell  into  line,  conversation  ceased  on  the  instant, 
tobacco  was  knocked  out  of  pipes  that  had  but 
just  been  filled,  carbines  were  adjusted  in  sol 
dier-fashion,  caps  that  had  been  worn  with  the 
peak  behind  were  turned  right  side  in  front,  and 


"THREE  CHEERS  FOR  THE  <  BRINDLES  ' !"  293 

twelve  bright  blades  leaped  from  their  scabbards. 
In  this  order  the  successful  troopers  rode  by  their 
comrades,  who  cheered  them  loudly,  and  then  fell 
in  behind  and  followed  them  into  camp,  marching 
in  column  of  fours.  Bob  at  once  rode  up  to  Cap 
tain  Clinton's  fire,  and  dismounted  to  make  his 
report,  which  he  did  in  this  way: 

"I  have  the  honor,  sir,  to  report  that  we  sur 
prised  five  Indians  in  camp  last  night,  captured 
one,  killed  three  and  released  Mr.  Went  worth's 
boys." 

"  Good  for  you,  corporal !"  exclaimed  the  cap 
tain,  his  astonishment  getting  the  better  of  him 
for  the  moment.  "  Anybody  hurt  on  your  side  ?" 

"One  wounded,  sir.  Private  Carey  received  a 
knife-thrust  in  the  right  arm  while  assisting  Pri 
vate  Loring  to  capture  the  Indian." 

"Very  good/7  said  the  captain,  resuming  his 
official  tones  and  dignity  at  the  same  time.  "  Stake 
out  your  horses,  and  then  come  back  here.  I  want 
to  hear  all  the  particulars.  What  was  the  cause  of 
that  disturbance  out  there  on  the  plain?" 

"  I  was  the  cause  of  it,  cap,  you  bet,"  ex 
claimed  Mr.  Wentworth,  whose  face  did  not  look 
much  as  it  did  when  he  galloped  out  to  meet  Bob 


294  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

and  his  squad.  Then  it  was  disturbed  with  pas 
sion  ;  now  it  was  beaming  with  joy.  "  I'd  ha' 
sent  that  Injin  to  the  happy  land  o'  Canaan  in  a 
little  less  than  the  shake  of  a  buck's  tail  if  Ack- 
erman  hadn't  stopped  me,  you  bet." 

"  It  was  a  good  thing  for  you  that  he  did  stop 
you,"  said  the  captain  quietly.  "  You  would  have 
brought  yourself  into  serious  trouble  by  such  a 
proceeding." 

"I  know  that,"  said  Mr.  Wentworth,  "but  who 
cares  for  trouble  when  his  dander's  up?  Say,  cap, 
may  I  have  my  rifle?  Ackerman  took  it  away 
from  me." 

"You  may  have  it  on  condition  that  you  will 
make  no  more  attempts  on  the  life  of  this  pris 
oner,"  replied  the  captain.  "  There  is  a  law  to 
deal  with  such  fellows  as  he  is." 

"  Where  in  the  world  is  it,  I'd  like  to  know  ?" 
exclaimed  Mr.  Wentworth  fiercely.  "It  hasn't  got 
out  here  to  Texas  yet.  If  I  had  shot  him,  as  I 
meant  to  do,  you  would  have  had  a  guard  over 
me  in  no  time;  but  he  came  with  a  band  of  his 
friends  and  set  fire  to  my  house,  and  carried  off 
my  little  boys,  and  killed  my  herdsmen,  and  drove 
off  my  stock;  and  you,  knowing  it  all,  stand  here, 


"THREE    CHEERS    FOR    THE    '  BRTXDLES  '  !"  295 

with  your  hundred  and  twenty  blue-coats,  and  tell 
me  that  I  must  not  touch  him.  Your  colonel  will 
give  him  up  when  his  agent  makes  a  demand  for 
him,  and  he'll  go  back  to  his  reservation,  and 
the  government  will  feed  him  on  good  food  and 
give  him  good  clothes,  and  some  rascally  trader 
will  sell  him  more  powder  and  balls  to  kill  white 
folks  with ;  but  if  / —  Dog-gone  my  buttons  ! — 
Ackerman,  give  me  that  rifle. " 

It  was  plain  that  Mr.  Wentworth's  "dander" 
was  still  "up"- -  way  up.  The  listening  troopers 
exchanged  glances  of  approval  with  one  another, 
and  would  have  cheered  him  if  they  had  dared. 
Being  a  civilian,  the  man  was  at  liberty  to  talk 
pretty  much  as  he  pleased ;  but  if  one  of  their  own 
number  had  made  such  an  exhibition  of  temper 
in  the  presence  of  an  officer,  he  would  have  been 
punished  for  it. 

"We  will  not  discuss  that  matter,"  said  the 
captain  calmly.  "I  know  my  business  and  at 
tend  to  it  strictly,  leaving  the  agents  to  look  out 
for  their  own  affairs.  They  are  not  responsible 
to  me,  or  to  you  either,  for  the  manner  in  which 
they  do  the  work  entrusted  to  them." 

"All  right,  cap,"  said  Mr.  Wentworth,  picking 


296  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

up  one  of  his  boys  and  then  lowering  him  carefully 
to  the  ground.  "  Mum  is  the  word,  if  you  say  so. 
But  I  haven't  heard  you  tell  Ackerman  to  give 
me  that  rifle  yet." 

"  Neither  have  I  heard  you  make  that  promise/' 
was  the  reply. 

"Well,  I'll  make  it,  but  I  tell  you  I  hate  to, 
mightily." 

The  captain  smiled,  and  nodded  to  George,  who 
rode  up  and  handed  over  the  Winchester. 

"She's  a  good  one,  cap,  and  when  she  speaks 
she  means  business — she  does,"  said  Mr.  Went- 
worth,  holding  the  recovered  weapon  off  at  arm's 
length  and  gazing  at  it  with  admiring  eyes.  "  She 
is  sure  death  on  Kiowas,  for  she  knows  I  have  got 
something  ag'inst  them.  She  rubbed  out  ten  of 
?em  during  the  last  fight  she  was  in,  and  she'll 
spoil  the  good  looks  of  many  more  of  them  before 
I  hand  her  over  to  my  oldest  boy  for  good. — Put 
her  on  your  shoulder,  Sheldon,  and  come  on." 

Lifting  his  youngest  child  in  his  arms,  Mr. 
Wentworth  walked  away,  Sheldon  marching 
proudly  by  his  side  with  the  rifle  on  his  shoulder, 
and  the  horse  following  quietly  at  his  heels.  Then 
Bob  and  George  rode  away  with  the  squad,  the 


"THKEE  CHEERS  FOR  THE  -BRINDLES'!"  297 

troopers  gradually  dispersed,  and  the  captain  and 
his  officers  went  back  to  the  blankets  on  which 
they  had  been  dozing  away  the  time  while  wait 
ing  for  Corporal  Owens. 

If  it  had  not  been  for  the  fact  that  he  had 
nearly  a  thousand  head  of  recaptured  stock  on 
his  hands,  the  captain  would  have  set  out  for  the 
fort  at  once ;  but  it  is  almost  impossible  to  drive 
Texas  cattle  during  the  night,  for  they  are  about 
half  wild,  anyway,  and  as  easily  stampeded  as  a 
herd  of  buffaloes.  Under  favorable  circumstances 
two  men  who  understand  their  business  can  take 
care,  of  a  herd  of  five  hundred  of  them ;  but  this 
stock  which  the  captain  had  just  recovered  from 
the  Indians  had  grown  so  unmanageable  during 
the  short  time  they  had  been  in  the  possession  of 
the  raiders,  who  had  pushed  them  ahead  night  and 
day  at  their  greatest  speed,  that  it  took  thirty  well- 
mounted  troopers  to  keep  them  within  bounds. 
If  they  became  quieted  down  during  the  night, 
the  captain  intended  to  set  out  for  the  fort  with 
the  main  body  of  his  men  early  the  next  morning, 
leaving  a  few  of  his  troopers  to  assist  Mr.  Went- 
worth  to  drive  the  cattle  in. 

"  I  say,  corporal,"  exclaimed   Carey  as  Bob  led 


298  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

his  squad  away,  "where  does  Wentworth  hang 
out?  What  mess  does  he  grub  with?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Boh.  "I  saw  him 
going  toward  the  other  end  of  the  camp." 

"  Now,  such  work  as  that  won't  do,"  continued 
Carey.  "He'll  go  up  there  among  those  high- 
toned  Grays  or  Blacks,  and  they  will  honey 
around  those  boys  of  his  and  make  much  of  them, 
and  cut  us  Brindles  completely  out  of  their  good 
graces.  They  belong  to  us,  and  they  ought  to  stay 
with  us ;  don't  you  say  so  ?" 

Bob  replied  that  he  did  say  so. 

"Can't  we  bring  them  into  our  mess?"  asked 
Carey. 

"  You  can  try.  I'll  take  care  of  your  horse  if 
you  want  to  make  the  attempt." 

Carey  at  once  dismounted,  and  started  back  to 
ward  the  upper  end  of  the  camp,  and  Bob  rode 
on  to  find  the  place  where  his  troop  had  staked 
out  their  horses.  While  he  is  looking  for  it  we 
will  explain  what  the  words  "Grays,"  "Blacks" 
and  "  Brindles,"  as  used  by  Private  Carey,  meant. 

One  of  the  first  things  to  be  done  in  a  new  regi 
ment  of  cavalry,  or  in  an  old  one  that  has  just  been 
remounted,  is  to  "  color  the  horses."  We  mean  by 


"THKEE  CHEERS  FOR  THE  '  BRINDLES  M"  299 

this  that  the  animals  are  divided  into  lots  accord 
ing  to  their  color,  the  blacks  being  placed  in  one 
lot,  the  grays  in  another,  the  whites  in  another, 
and  so  on.  After  these  divisions  are  made  there 
are  always  some  "off"  horses,  such  as  roans  and 
browns,  which  are  put  into  a  lot  by  themselves 
and  called  the  "brindles."  The  ranking  captain 
then  makes  his  choice  of  the  colors.  For  the  sake 
of  illustration,  we  will  suppose  that  he  prefers  to 
have  his  company  mounted  on  black  horses.  He 
first  takes  the  finest  animal  in  the  lot  for  his  own 
use,  his  first  lieutenant  comes  next,  the  second 
lieutenant  next,  the  first  sergeant  next,  and  so  on 
down  through  all  the  sergeants  and  corporals,  each 
one  selecting  according  to  his  rank.  Then  those 
of  the  privates  who  have  proved  themselves  to  be 
the  best  soldiers  are  called  up  one  by  one,  and  after 
they  have  made  their  selections  the  shirks  and 
grumblers,  like  Bristow  and  Gus  Robbins,  have 
to  take  those  that  are  left. 

The  captain  who  is  second  in  command  makes  the 
next  choice  of  colors,  and  his  horses  are  distrib 
uted  in  the  same  way.  The  whites  are  generally 
chosen  next  to  the  last,  not  because  they  are  not 
as  good  or  as  handsome  as  the  others,  but  for  the 


300  GEORGE   AT  THE  FORT. 

reason  that  it  is  harder  work  for  the  men  to  keep 
them  clean,  and  in  action  they  present  conspicuous 
marks  for  the  rifles  of  the  enemy.  "  The  "  brindles," 
the  horses  of  all  colors  and  of  no  color  at  all  to  speak 
of,  are  the  only  ones  left,  and  the  lowest  company 
commander  must  take  them  because  he  has  no  choice. 
He  does  not  like  them,  and  neither  do  his  men,  be 
cause  the  troop  that  is  doomed  to  ride  them  cannot 
make  so  fine  appearance  on  dress-parade  as  the  others 
do,  and  for  the  reason  that  the  Brindles  are  the  butt 
of  all  the  jokes  that  old  soldiers  can  play  upon  one 
another.  When  we  have  said  that  we  have  said  a 
good  deal,  for  if  there  is  any  mischief  that  a  lot  of 
veterans  will  not  think  of  when  they  have  a  leisure 
hour  on  their  hands,  we  don't  know  what  it  is. 

When  the  horses  were  "  colored "  at  Fort  La- 
moine  the  brindles  fell  to  the  lot  of  Lieutenant 
Earle,  as  he  was  the  lowest  company  commander, 
all  the  others  being  captains.  This  was  the  troop 
to  which  Bob  Owens  belonged,  and,  in  common 
with  its  other  members,  he  had  suffered  from  the 
practical  jokes  that  had  been  played  upon  him 
by  the  more  fortunate  troopers.  But  of  late  these 
jokes  were  not  as  frequent  as  they  had  formerly 
been,  for  the  "  Brindles "  had  proved  themselves 


"THREE  CHEEKS  FOR  THE  'BRINDLES'!"  301 

to  be  the  best  of  soldiers.  When  their  achieve 
ments  were  taken  into  consideration  they  led  every 
troop  in  the  garrison.  They  had  gallantly  borne 
their  part  in  every  duty  they  were  called  on  to 
perform,  their  non-commissioned  officers  had  in 
variably  been  successful  when  sent  out  in  pursuit 
of  deserters,  and*  now  one  of  them  had  done  some 
thing  for  which  the  members  of  his  regiment  were 
glad  to  honor  him  in  the  way  we  have  described. 
During  the  rest  of  Bob's  life  at  Fort  Lamoine  but 
little  was  said  about  the  despised  Brindles ;  but  if 
any  trooper  did  forget  himself  and  make  disparag 
ing  remarks  concerning  them  or  their  "ringed, 
streaked  and  striped"  horses,  some  listening  Brindle 
would  promptly  interrupt  him  with — 

"  Look  here,  Bub,  we  didn't  enlist  to  show  our 
selves  off  on  dress-parade.  When  you  Blacks"  (or 
Gr^ys  or  Chestnuts,  as  the  case  might  be,  the  of 
fending  trooper  being  designated  by  the  color  of 
the  horses  on  which  his  company  was  mounted) 

"  have  followed  an  Indian  trail  across  the  Staked 

* 

Plains,  and  been  burned  up  by  an  August  sun,  and 
had  your  mouths  and  throats  filled  so  full  of  sand 
that  you  couldn't  tell  the  truth  for  a  whole  month, 
and  have  surprised  a  party  of  hostiles  in  their  camp, 


302  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

and  rescued  two  prisoners  alive  and  unharmed, — - 
when  you  have  done  all  that,  you  can  talk;  until 
then  hold  your  yawp.  That  feat  has  never  been 
accomplished  but  once  in  the  Department  of  Texas, 
and  then  it  was  accomplished  by  our  boys,  the  Brin- 

dles  of  the th  Cavalry." 

Bob  and  his  men  were  proud  of  that  exploit,  and, 
what  was  more,  they  did  not  mean  to  be  robbed  of 
any  of  the  honor  they  had  won.  That  was  one 
reason  why  they  wanted  to  bring  Mr.  Wentworth 
and  his  boys  into  their  mess.  They  supposed  they 
were  going  back  to  the  fort  with  Captain  Clinton's 
command,  and  they  wanted  to  carry  those  boys 
through  the  gate  themselves.  But,  as  it  happened, 
the  captain  had  decided  upon  something  else,  and 
by  that  decision  had  unconsciously  given  Bob's 
lucky  squad  of  Brindles  an  opportunity  to  add 
to  their  laurels.  We  shall  see  what  use  they  made 
of  it. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

MORE  BAD  LUCK  FOR  MR.  WENTWORTH. 

TTTHILE  Bob  and  his  men  were  staking  out 
their  horses  they  were  besieged  by  anxious 
Brindies  who  wanted  to  know  just  where  they  had 
been  and  what  they  had  done  during  their  absence. 
No  incident  connected  with  the  experience  of  their 
successful  comrades  was  deemed  too  trivial  for  their 
notice.  Bob  and  the  rest  answered  their  questions 
as  fast  as  they  were  able,  and  asked  a  good  many 
in  return.  They  learned  that  Captain  Clinton  had 
fallen  in  with  the  stolen  cattle  about  one  o'clock 
that  morning,  but  the  Indians  they  had  hoped  lo 
find  with  them  were  not  to  be  seen.  The  captain 
had  pursued  them  so  closely  that  they  did  not  have 
time  to  drive  the  stock  into  the  Staked  Plains,  to 
die  there  of  thirst,  and  neither  did  they  harass 
the  column,  as  George  said  they  would.  Their 
force  was  too  small  to  accomplish  anything  by  it. 

303 


304  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

The  captain  had  spent  all  the  forenoon  in  gathering 
up  the  stock,  and  it  was  now  feeding  on  the  prairie 
close  by,  guarded  by  a  large  squad  of  troopers. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what's  a  fact,  boys/'  said  one  of 
the  Brindles.  "This  raid  must  have  been  a  big 
thing,  for  just  after  you  left  us  we  struck  the  trail 
of  a  large  drove  that  joined  ours,  and  a  little  farther 
on  we  found  another.  But  they  were  both  older 
than  our  own,  so  the  scout  said,  and  the  drove  we 
followed  was  left  behind  as  a  sort  of  bait  for  us  to 
swallow,  while  the  main  herd  was  driven  off." 

"  Why  didn't  you  go  on  after  the  main  herd  ?" 
asked  Bob. 

"  It  would  have  been  of  no  use.  It  had  too 
much  of  a  start;  and  besides,  we  have  already 
got  just  as  much  on  our  hands  as  we  can  attend  to. 
We  have  been  all  day  gathering  up  the  cattle  we 
have  got,  and  it  is  just  all  we  can  do  to  hold  fast 
to  them.  The  fellows  up  there  must  attend  to  the 
rest." 

By  "  the  fellows  up  there "  the  troopers  meant 
to  indicate  the  cavalry  attached  to  the  several  posts 
north  of  the  Staked  Plains. 

When  Bob  went  back  to  the  captain's  head-quar 
ters,  George,  being  a  privileged  character,  went 


MORE  BAD  LUCK  FOR  MR.  WENTWORTH.  305 

with  him.  The  officer  questioned  them  closely 
in  regard  to  their  movements,  took  copious  notes 
to  assist  him  in  making  out  his  report  to  the  col 
onel,  and  by  the  time  he  got  through  he  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  two  young  men  deserved 
especial  mention  for  the  skill  and  courage  they  had 
exhibited.  He  rewarded  them  on  the  spot  by  giv 
ing  them  more  work  to  do — some  that  was  not  sup 
posed  to  have  any  danger  in  it,  but  which,  never 
theless,  gave  them  an  opportunity  to  show  whether 
the  success  that  had  attended  them  during  their 
last  scout  was  owing  to  good  luck  or  good  man 
agement. 

"  I  am  more  than  satisfied,  because  you  have  ac 
complished  more  than  I  expected  of  you,"  said  the 
captain  as  he  put  his  note-book  into  his  pocket. 
"  As  you  will  probably  have  some  hard  riding  to 
do  to-morrow,  I  will  see  that  you  are  allowed  a 
good  night's  rest." 

"  Are  we  going  back  to  the  fort  in  the  morning, 
sir?"  asked  George. 

Although  Bob  was  fully  as  anxious  as  his  com 
panion  was  to  know  what  the  captain  meant  by 
saying  that  he  and  his  squad  would  probably  have 
some  hard  riding  to  do  the  next  day,  he  never 

20 


306  GEOKGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

would  have  dared  to  ask  such  a  question ;  and  if 
he  had,  the  officer,  if  he  had  made  any  reply  at  all, 
would  very  likely  have  told  him  that  he  would  find 
out  all  about  it  in  due  time.  But  he  expressed  no 
surprise  at  George's  inquisitiveness. 

"  /  am  going  back  to  fort,"  said  he,  "  but  you 
and  the  corporal  will  have  to  stay  and  help  Mr. 
Wentworth  with  the  cattle.  You  will  be  of  more 
use  to  him,  George,  than  half  a  dozen  green  hands, 
for  you  know  how  to  drive  stock  and  can  act  as  in 
structor  to  the  rest.  You  know  where  Holmes's 
ranche  is,  I  suppose  ?  Well,  I  shall  want  the  cor 
poral  to  stay  with  Mr.  Wentworth  until  he  gets 
there,  and  then  you  will  have  to  guide  the  squad 
to  the  fort.  If  you  should  happen  to  meet  any 
raiders  on  the  way,  why  take  them  in,"  added  the 
captain  with  a  smile. — "  Corporal,  is  Carey  badly 
hurt?" 

"  He  grumbles  a  good  deal,  sir,  but  I  think  it  is 
more  from  anger  than  pain." 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  take  a  man  in  his  place 
and  let  him  go  to  the  fort  with  us,  so  that  the  doc 
tor  can  look  at  his  arm,"  said  the  captain. 

"  I  tell  you  there  is  nothing  like  having  friends 
at  court,"  said  Bob  as  he  and  George  walked  away. 


MOKE   BAD    LUCK    FOR   MR.    WENT  WORTH.    307 

"Until  you  came  among  us  I  didn't  know  that 
these  officers  could  be  so  very  friendly  and  good- 
natured.  Why,  George,  if  I  knew  the  country  as 
well  as  you  do,  and  could  get  scout's  pay,  I  would 
stay  in  the  army  all  my  life.  We  have  got  a  sort 
of  roving  commission  now,  and  I  hope  we  can 
do  something  with  it  before  we  go  back  to  the 
fort." 

Details  for  such  duties  as  this  which  had  just 
been  assigned  to  Corporal  Owens  are  about  the 
only  recreations  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  a  private 
soldier  on  the  Plains,  and  they  are  eagerly  sought 
after.  Being  almost  always  commanded  by  a  ser 
geant  or  corporal  who  has  proved  to  the  satisfac 
tion  of  his  superiors  that  he  can  be  trusted,  the 
men  never  fail  to  enjoy  themselves  to  the  fullest 
extent.  It  is  a  great  relief  to  them  to  be  entirely 
out  of  reach  of  their  Argus-eyed  officers,  who  are 
so  prompt  to  take  them  to  task  for  the  least  neglect 
of  duty. 

When  they  reached  the  place  where  the  Brindles 
were  encamped,  they  found  that  Carey  had  been 
successful  in  his  mission.  He  had  brought  Mr. 
Wentworth  and  his  boys  back  with  him,  and  the 
troopers  were  crowded  about  them  listening  to 


308  GEORGE    AT   THE    FORT. 

Sheldon's  account  of  his  experience  among  the 
Kiowas. 

"  Get  all  you  can  out  of  them,  boys,"  exclaimed 
Bob,  "for  you  will  not  see  them  after  to-night." 

"  Why  won't  we  ?"  asked  half  a  dozen  troopers 
at  once. 

"Because  they  are  not  going  to  the  fort.  They 
are  going  to  Holmes's  ranche,  wherever  that  is,  and 
we're  going  to  see  them  safely  there  with  the  stock." 

"We?  who?" 

"  Our  same  old  squad — all  except  Carey." 

The  owner  of  that  name,  whose  face  had  lighted 
up  with  pleasure,  jumped  to  his  feet  with  an  angry 
exclamation.  "  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  cor 
poral?"  he  demanded. 

"It's  no  fault  of  mine,  Carey,"  replied  Bob. 
"  The  captain  thinks  you  had  better  go  to  the  fort, 
so  that  the  doctor  can  look  at  your  wound." 

Carey  made  no  reply,  but  elbowed  his  way 
through  the  crowd  and  started  toward  the  other 
end  of  the  camp.  In  a  few  minutes  he  was  stand 
ing  in  front  of  Captain  Clinton  with  his  hand  to 
his  cap. 

"  What  is  it,  Carey  ?"  asked  that  officer  after  he 
had  returned  the  salute. 


MORE  BAD  LUCK  FOR  MR.  WENTWORTH.  309 

"  My  respects  to  you,  sir,"  answered  the  trooper, 
"  and,  if  I  might  take  the  liberty,  I'd  like  to  know 
why  I  am  to  be  left  behind  while  the  rest  of  our 
squad  goes  off  on  a  picnic  with  them  cattle?" 

"  Why,  you  are  wounded,"  said  the  captain. 

"Just  a  little  scratch,  sir,"  protested  the  trooper. 
"  But  even  if  I  had  no  right  arm  at  all,  I  could 
ride  and  shoot,  and  when  it  came  to  yelling  I'd  be 
there  too." 

"Very  good.  If  you  think  you  can  stand  it, 
go  on." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  I  knew  you  wouldn't  go  back 
on  old  Carey.  I've  been  in  every  muss  my  troop 
has  been  in,  and  nobody  ever  hinted  that  I  didn't 
do  my  duty." 

The  captain  nodded  his  head  and  waved  his  hand 
in  token  of  dismissal,  and  the  trooper  hurried  away. 

Up  to  this  time  George  Ackerman  had  always 
messed  with  the  officers,  but  that  night  he  took 
supper  with  Bob's  squad,  because  both  he  and  they 
considered  that  he  belonged  to  it.  During  the 
progress  of  the  meal  he  reminded  the  corporal  that 
the  latter  had  promised  to  tell  him  a  story. 

"Oh  yes,"  said  Bob,  after  thinking  a  moment. 
"  I  was  telling  you,  I  believe,  that  if  Mr.  Went- 


310  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

worth  killed  that  Indian  he  would  be  arrested  and 
tried  for  murder.  Well,  that's  an  Indian's  idea  of 
justice,  and  it  seems  to  be  the  agents'  idea  too. 
The  Indians  think  they  have  a  perfect  right  to 
kill  and  scalp  whenever  they  feel  like  it.  but  if  a 
white  man  kills  one  of  them  it  is  an  a \vful  thing. 
If  they  can't  get  hold  of  the  man  who  did  the 
shooting  or  any  of  his  relations,  they  look  to  the 
government  for  pay.  On  a  certain  occasion  a 
scouting-party  of  ten  men  was  surprised  and  ut 
terly  wiped  out.  The  surprise  was  so  complete 
that  every  one  of  the  party  was  killed  at  the  first 
fire,  with  the  exception  of  a  corporal,  who  had  just 
time  to  knock  over  two  of  the  reds  before  he  too 
was  shot.  Shortly  afterward  a  peace  was  patched 
up,  and  a  band  of  braves  came  in,  bringing  with 
them  an  old  woman  for  whom  they  asked  a  gov 
ernment  pension  because  her  two  sons  had  fallen 
in  battle.  Inquiries  were  made,  and  it  turned  out 
that  these  two  sons  were  the  very  Indians  who  had 
been  killed  by  the  corporal.  What  do  you  think 
of  such  impudence?" 

George  did  not  know  what  to  think  of  it,  and 
probably  the  reader  doesn't  either;  but  this  very 
incident  is  on  record. 


MORE  BAD  LUCK  FOR  MR.  WENTWORTH.  311 

By  daylight  the  next  morning  the  camp  was 
deserted.  The  main  body  of  the  troops  was  rid 
ing  rapidly  toward  Fort  Lamoine,  and  a  few  miles 
behind  it  came  the  herd  which  Captain  Clinton 
had  recaptured.  It  was  moving  leisurely  along  in 
front  of  Mr.  Wentworth  and  George,  who  con 
trolled  it  with  less  difficulty  than  the  rest  of  the 
squad  would  have  experienced  in  managing  a  dozen 
cattle.  Behind  them  came  Bob  and  his  men,  with 
the  two  boys,  who  were  mounted  on  a  couple  of 
their  father's  horses  which  had  been  found  with 
the  herd.  George's  quick  eye  had  already  noticed 
that  there  were  at  least  half  a  dozen  different 
brands  among  the  cattle,  and  he  told  himself  that 
when  the  animals  bearing  these  brands  had  been 
delivered  up  to  their  lawful  owners,  Mr.  Went 
worth  would  have  very  little  stock  left. 

Bob  and  his  troopers  enjoyed  this  "picnic"  by 
being  lazy.  They  had  nothing  to  do  worth  speak 
ing  of  but  to  follow  along  in  the  rear  of  the  herd 
and  talk  to  the  boys,  the  most  of  the  work  being 
performed  by  George  and  Mr.  Wentworth,  who 
during  the  first  part  of  the  journey  managed  the 
cattle  both  day  and  night.  They  offered  to  assist 
in  any  way  they  could,  but  the  practised  herders 


312  GEOEGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

did  not  need  them,  and  besides,  they  were  afraid 
to  trust  them. 

"I  don't  want  to  lose  these  steers  and  horses 
again,  after  all  the  trouble  I  have  had  to  get 
them/'  Mr.  "Wentworth  always  replied.  "  I  know 
you  are  good  soldiers,  or  else  you  couldn't  have 
got  my  boys  back  for  me;  but  you  can't  herd 
cattle.  The  least  awkward  movement  on  your 
part  would  send  them  galloping  back  toward  the 
Staked  Plains  again.  Wait  until  they  get  over 
their  fright,  and  then  you  can  try  your  hands  at 
guarding  them  during  the  night." 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  fifth  day  Bob  noticed 
that  George's  field-glass  was  often  brought  into 
requisition  both  by  himself  and  Mr.  Wentworth, 
and  on  riding  forward  to  inquire  the  cause  of  it, 
he  was  informed  that  they  were  looking  for  Mr. 
Taylor's  ranche. 

"And  who  is  Mr.  Taylor?"  was  Bob's  next 
question. 

"  He  is  one  of  Mr.  Wentworth's  neighbors  who 
was  raided  by  the  Indians.  We  know  it,  for  we 
have  some  of  his  cattle  with  us ;  but  whether  or 
not  they  did  him  any  damage  beyond  stealing  his 
stock,  we  don't  know;  and  we  can't  tell,  either, 


MORE  BAD  LUCK  FOR  MR.  WENTWORTH.  313 

until  we  find  his  house  if  it  is  still  standing,  or 
the  ruins  of  it  if  it  has  been  destroyed." 

"  Then  we  must  be  getting  pretty  near  our  jour 
ney's  end,"  said  Bob,  whose  arms  and  shoulders 
began  to  ache  when  he  thought  of  the  tedious  rou 
tine  of  drill  and  guard-duty  upon  which  he  must 
enter  as  soon  as  he  returned  to  the  fort. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean  by  near,"  replied 
George.  "The  fort  is  all  of  a  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  here,  and  we  are  not  going  toward  it. 
We  are  going  toward  Holmes's  ranche;  and  even 
if  we  have  the  best  of  luck,  it  will  take  us  two 
weeks  to  get  there." 

"  That  sounds  better,"  said  Bob,  who  was  greatly 
relieved.  "  When  you  spoke  of  Mr.  Wentworth's 
neighbors,  I  was  afraid  that  our  pleasure-excursion 
was  about  to  be  brought  to  an  end,  for  he  doesn't 
live  so  very  far  from  the  fort,  you  know." 

"  It's  just  over  there,"  shouted  Mr.  Wentworth 
at  this  moment.  "  I  see  cattle,  and  that  proves 
that  the  raiders  didn't  scoop  Taylor  as  they  did 
me.  Now  look  sharp;  we've  got  rounding  out 
enough  to  do  already." 

"  What  does  he  mean  by  that  ?"  asked  Bob. 

Cf  He  means  that  we  mustn't  allow  our  cattle  to 


314  GEOEGE  AT  THE   FORT. 

mix  in  with  Mr.  Taylor's,  for  if  we  do  we  shall 
have  to  round  them  all  out  again.  By  '  rounding 
out '  we  mean  separating  the  different  herds  from 
each  other;  and  that  is  something  that  none  but 
good  herdsmen  can  do.  It  requires  skill  and  a  big 
stock  of  patience,  I  tell  you.  Just  let  a  few  green 
hands  try  it,  and  see  how  much  they  would  make 
at  it.  Why,  they  would  scare  the  cattle  so  that 
they  would  run  clear  out  of  the  State." 

Although  Mr.  Wentworth  had  declared  that  Mr. 
Taylor's  ranche  was  "just  over  there,"  our  friends 
did  not  reach  it  that  day,  nor  until  late  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  next.  Before  they  got  there  they 
knew  just  what  Mr.  Taylor's  experience  with  the 
Kiowa  raiders  had  been,  for  they  had  passed  two 
or  three  of  his  herds,  whose  keepers  had  told  them 
all  about  it.  The  Indians  had  suddenly  made 
their  appearance,  coming  from  the  south,  and  driv 
ing  before  them  a  large  number  of  cattle;  and  al 
though  they  had  not  come  within  five  miles  of 
Mr.  Taylor's  ranche,  they  had  picked  up  one  of 
his  small  herds  which  happened  to  be  in  their 
path. 

Our  friends  camped  that  night  close  by  Mr. 
Taylor's  ranche,  which  proved  to  be  a  perfect 


MORE  BAD  LUCK  FOR  MR.  WENT  WORTH.  315 

little  fort.  It  was  built  of  heavy  stone,  was  well 
supplied  with  provisions,  and  defended  by  five 
stalwart  fellows  who  were  armed  with  Winchester 
rifles.  The  raiders  would  have  had  a  nice  time 
of  it  if  they  had  come  there.  The  owner  listened 
in  great  surprise  to  Mr.  Weutworth's  story,  made 
much  of  his  boys,  and  would  not  let  him  and 
George  "round  out"  the  stock  that  bore  his  brand. 

"You're  welcome  to  the  steers,  neighbor,"  said 
he.  "  I've  got  more  left  than  I  can  take  care  of 
if  the  Kiowas  bounce  me  as  earnestly  as  they  did 
you,  and  you  will  need  them  to  help  you  start  a 
new  herd." 

This  same  thing  was  repeated  by  every  one  of 
the  half  a  dozen  other  ranchemen  to  whom  Mr. 
Wentworth  oifered  to  surrender  their  stock.  They 
all  sympathized  with  him,  and  wanted  to  aid  him 
by  every  means  in  their  power.  The  result  was, 
that  our  friends  arrived  within  one  day's  march  of 
their  journey's  end  with  just  as  many  cattle  as  they 
had  when  they  left  the  Staked  Plains.  Although 
Mr.  Wentworth  had  been  "  completely  cleaned 
out,"  he  was  still  worth  something  like  twenty 
thousand  dollars. 

George  and  his  party  made  their  last  camp  a 


316  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

short  distance  from  the  cabin  of  a  squatter,  who 
rode  over  to  see  them  during  the  evening.  He 
went  home  about  ten  o'clock,  and  George  and  his 
companions  lay  down  on  their  blankets,  leaving 
the  herd  to  the  care  of  four  mounted  troopers. 
The  latter,  who  during  the  journey  had  exhibited 
the  greatest  eagerness  to  learn  something  of  the 
mysteries  of  cattle-herding,  had  so  far  progressed 
in  knowledge  and  skill  as  to  be  able  to  stand  guard 
at  night,  and  to  give  George  and  Mr.  Wentworth 
an  opportunity  to  obtain  the  rest  of  which  they 
began  to  stand  so  much  in  need.  About  midnight 
George  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  around  the 
herd  to  assure  himself  that  everything  was  just 
as  it  should  be.  He  went  on  horseback,  because 
everybody  rides  while  working  about  Texas  cattle. 
If  a  man  should  venture  among  them  on  foot  dur 
ing  the  daytime,  his  life  would  be  in  danger ;  and 
if  he  went  around  them  at  night,  he  would  prob 
ably  stampede  the  whole  herd. 

"All  serene,"  said  Loring,  who  was  the  first 
guard  George  encountered  during  his  rounds. 
"  The  moon  shines  so  brightly  that  I  can  see  the 
movements  of  every  steer  in  the  drove." 

"  If  we  were  a  little  nearer  the  river  perhaps 


MORE  BAD  LUCK  FOR  MR.  WENTWORTH.  317 

things  wouldn't  be  quite  so  serene,"  answered 
George.  "The  Mexicans  take  just  such  a  night 
as  this  for  their  raids." 

About  an  hour  after  George  had  retired  to  his 
blanket  Loring  noticed  that  the  cattle  began  to 
show  signs  of  uneasinesss.  Those  that  wrere  stand 
ing  up  began  to  move  about,  those  that  were  lying 
down  arose  and  moved  about  with  them,  and  pres 
ently  the  whole  herd  was  in  motion.  The  cattle 
did  not  attempt  to  run  away,  but  walked  restlessly 
about,  as  if  they  were  unable  to  find  a  place  that 
suited  them. 

"  Suke,  thing !  suke,  thing !"  said  Loring  coax- 
iugly. 

The  travelled  reader  would  have  said  at  once 
that  Loring  was  a  Southerner;  and  if  he  could 
have  heard  Phillips  on  the  other  side  of  the  cattle 
trying  to  soothe  them  with  "  Co-boss !  co-boss !" 
he  would  have  said  that  Phillips  was  from  the 
North.  But  the  cattle  did  not  understand  either 
of  them,  or  if  they  did  they  paid  no  attention  to 
them.  Their  restlessness  increased  every  moment, 
and  finally  Loring,  good  soldier  though  he  was,  de 
serted  his  post  and  started  for  camp  as  fast  as  he 
could  make  his  horse  walk. 


318  GEORGE   AT   THE    FORT. 

"Ackerman,"  said  he  in  an  excited  voice,  "get 
up.  There  is  something  wrong  with -those  cattle." 

George  was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant.  One 
glance  at  the  herd  was  enough. 

"  I  should  say  there  was  something  wrong !"  he 
exclaimed.  "  How  long  has  this  thing  been  going 
on?" 

"Not  more  than  five  minutes." 

"Which  way  are  they  looking,"  continued 
George. 

"Every  way,  but  the  most  of  them  keep  their 
heads  in  that  direction,"  said  Loring,  waving  his 
arm  toward  the  south. 

"  Call  everybody  in  camp  while  I  speak  to  Bob 
and  Mr.  Wentworth.  No  noise  now.  I  am  afraid 
we  are  going  to  have  trouble." 

In  less  than  two  minutes  all  the  troopers  had 
been  aroused,  and  George  was  holding  an  earnest 
consultation  with  Mr.  Wentworth  and  the  corporal. 
"I've  seen  cattle  act  that  way  before,"  said  he, 
speaking  as  rapidly  as  he  could  make  his  tongue 
move,  for  time  was  precious ;  "  and  if  we  were  a 
little  nearer  the  river  I  could  easily  tell  what  is 
the  matter  with  them  ;  but  I  never  heard  of  the 
Greasers  coming  so  far  into  the  country  as  this,  and 


MORE   BAD    LUCK    FOR    ME.  WENT  WORTH.     319 

it  may  be  nothing  but  nervousness  that's  troubling 
them.  My  advice  would  be  to  mount  the  men  and 
move  them  quietly  in  line  on  the  north  side  of  the 
herd,  and  perhaps  by  making  such  a  show  of  num 
bers  we  can  keep  them  within  bounds  until  they 
are  quieted  down. — What  do  you  say,  Mr.  Went- 
worth?" 

"  It  is  the  only  thing  that  can  be  done,"  replied 
Mr.  Wentworth,  who  seemed  to  be  greatly  excited 
and  alarmed;  "and  even  that  is  a  slim  chance. — 
Make  haste,  corporal.  Do  all  you  can  for  me,  for 
if  I  lose  this  herd  I  shall  be  ruined,  sure  enough." 

"Catch  up !"  commanded  Bob. 

"  Look  here,"  said  George,  seizing  his  friend  by 
the  shoulder  and  speaking  with  all  the  earnestness 
he  could  throw  into  his  tones:  "if  you  get  in  line 
in  front  of  those  cattle,  and  they  start  to  run  to 
ward  you,  don't  try  to  stop  them,  for  you  can't  do 
it,  any  more  than  we  could  stop  those  buffaloes  the 
other  night.  Run  before  them,  and  gradually  draw 
off  to  the  right  or  left  of  them,  and  you  will  get 
safely  off;  otherwise  they  will  certainly  run  over 
you.  But  I  tun  afraid  it  is  too  late  to  do  any 
thing,"  added  George  as  he  noted  the  increasing 
restlessness  of  the  cattle. 


320  GEORGE    AT   THE   FOKT. 

"  It  is  too  late !  it  is  too  late !"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Wentworth,  rubbing  his  bauds  nervously  together. 
"  There  they  go  !" 

Even  as  he  spoke  a  noise  like  the  rumbling  of 
distant  thunder  sounded  in  their  ears,  and  instantly 
the  whole  herd  made  off  at  the  top  of  its  speed. 
Looking  over  the  mass  of  horns  and  tails  that  was 
tossed  wildly  in  the  air,  the  troopers  were  horrified 
to  see  Phillips  standing  directly  in  front  of  it. 
Being  fully  determined  to  do  his  duty  to  the  ut 
most,  the  brave  fellow  sat  in  his  saddle,  swinging 
his  arms  about  his  head,  and  no  doubt  shouting  at 
the  top  of  his  voice  to  stop  the  advance  of  the 
frightened  herd,  which  was  bearing  down  upon 
him  with  the  resistless  power  of  an  avalanche. 

"  The  man  is  crazy !"  cried  George  in  great 
alarm.  Then,  raising  both  hands  to  his  face  and 
using  them  as  a  speaking-trumpet,  he  yelled,  with 
all  the  power  of  his  lungs, 

"  Run  !  run  for  your  life !" 

Phillips  afterward  said  that  he  did  not  hear  what 
George  said  to  him — in  fact,  he  couldn't  hear  any 
thing  but  the  noise  of  those  hoofs — but,  seeing  that 
if  he  remained  where  he  was  his  death  was  certain, 
he  wheeled  his  horse  and  fled  with  the  speed  of  the 


MOKE  BAD  LUCK  FOR  MR,  WENTWORTH.  321 

wind.  The  last  his  friends  saw  of  him  was  as  he 
dashed  over  the  top  of  a  ridge,  with  the  stampeded 
cattle  close  behind  him.  When  they  were  all  out 
of  sight  and  the  rumble  of  their  hoofs  had  died 
away  in  the  distance,  the  troopers  turned  to  look 
at  Mr.  Wentworth.  He  stood  with  his  hands  in 
his  pockets  gazing  disconsolately  in  the  direction 
in  which  the  herd  had  disappeared,  but  had  noth 
ing  to  say. 

"  Now,  here's  a  go !"  whispered  Bob,  giving 
George  a  nudge  in  the  ribs  with  his  elbow. 
"  What  am  I  to  do  ?  This  is  something  Captain 
Clinton  didn't  think  to  provide  for,  isn't  it?  I 
was  ordered  to  go  to  Holmes's  ranche  with  Mr. 
Wentworth,  but  I  wasn't  told  to  follow  up  and 
collect  his  cattle  if  they  were  stampeded." 

"You  mustn't  think  of  following  them  up," 
said  George  decidedly.  "  There  is  no  man  -in  the 
world  who  could  get  that  same  herd  together  again, 
for  it  will  join  others  as  soon  as  it  gets  over  its 
fright;  and  how  could  we  tell  these  cattle  from 
others  bearing  the  same  brand?  They  are  gone, 
and  that's  all  there  is  of  it.  You  must  mount  at 
once  and  see  if  you  can  find  anything  of  Phil 
lips." 

21 


322  GEORGE    AT   THE   FORT. 

"All  right!— Mr.  Wentworth,"  said  Bob,  "  w<. 
are  very  sorry  for  the  loss  you  have  sustained,  but 
\ve  have  done  all  we  could  for  you." 

"  I  know  it,  corporal,  and  I  am  very  grateful  to 
you  and  to  the  captain,  who  was  kind  enough  to 
send  you  with  me.  Such  things  as  these  will  hap 
pen  sometimes,  in  spite  of  everything.  Now  I 
hardly  know  what  to  do." 

Neither  would  anybody  else  have  known  what 
to  do  under  the  same  circumstances.  Mr.  Went- 
worth  had  no  home,  no  property  except  his  rifle 
and  the  horses  he  and  his  boys  rode,  no  work  to 
do,  and  but  little  to  eat  in  his  haversack.  It  was 
a  trying  situation  for  a  man  who  but  a  few  days 
before  had  been  worth  a  fortune,  and  almost  any 
one  would  have  been  disheartened. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  you  can  do,"  said  George. 
"  You  can  easily  find  your  way  to  the  Ackerman 
settlement,  and  if  you  go  there  and  give  Mr.  Gil 
bert  a  note  of  introduction  which  I  will  write  for 
you,  he  will  take  care  of  you  until  you  can  decide 
upon  something." 

George  did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  tell  Mr.  Went- 
worth  all  he  had  on  his  mind.  As  soon  as  he  re 
turned  to  the  fort  he  intended  to  write  to  his  guar- 


MORE  BAD  LUCK  FOR  MR.  WENTWORTH.  323 

dian,  asking  him  if  he  might  furnish  Mr.  Went- 
\vorth  with  a  sufficient  number  of  cattle  from  his 
own  herds  to  give  the  impoverished  man  a  new 
start  in  life.  Of  course  Mr.  Wentworth  had  a  few 
cattle  of  his  own  among  those  that  had  just  run  off, 
but  it  would  take  some  time  to  gather  them  up ; 
and  as  he  would  not  want  to  be  troubled  with  his 
boys  while  he  was  engaged  in  the  work,  George  in 
tended  to  ask  Mr.  Gilbert  to  take  care  of  them 
during  their  father's  absence,  and  to  lend  Mr. 
Wentworth  a  few  good  herdsmen  to  assist  him  in 
getting  his  stock  together.  While  he  was  thinking 
about  it,  and  before  Mr.  Wentworth  could  thank 
him  for  his  generous  offer,  something  happened 
which  told  them  very  plainly  that  the  stampede 
that  had  just  taken  place  was  not  owing  to  the 
nervousness  of  the  cattle,  but  to  the  presence  of 
tho.-e  of  whom  George  Ackerman  had  every  rea 
son  to  stand  in  fear. 

Their  attention  was  first  attracted  by  some  un 
usual  sound.  They  could  not  have  told  what  it 
was  or  from  which  direction  it  came,  but  they  all 
heard  it,  and  waited  for  it  to  be  repeated,  that  they 
might  locate  and  define  it.  There  was  a  moment's 
silence,  and  then  a  chorus  of  wild  veils  arose  on 


324  GEOKGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

the  night  air,  accompanied  by  the  rapid  discharge 
of  firearms.  The  troopers  looked  at  one  another 
in  blank  amazement,  and  then  at  George,  who  was 
not  long  in  assigning  a  cause  for  the  disturbance. 

"The  Greasers  are  attacking  the  squatter,"  he 
exclaimed  ;  and  he  was  quite  as  much  astonished 
to  be  called  upon  to  say  it  as  the  troopers  were  to 
hear  it.  It  must  be  a  strong  and  daring  band  that 
would  venture  so  far  into  the  country,  and  almost 
involuntarily  George  whispered  the  name  of  Fletch 
er.  Bob  was  quick  to  decide  upon  his  course.  He 
knew  just  what  Captain  Clinton  would  expect  of 
him  if  he  were  there. 

"  Mr.  Wentworth,"  said  he,  "  we  must  lend  that 
man  a  helping  hand.  As  you  can't  go  with  us  on 
account  of  your  boys,  you  will  have  to  look  out 
for  yourself  and  them." 

"And  I  am  just  the  man  who  can  do  it,"  re 
plied  Mr.  Wentworth.  "Good-bye  and  good  luck 
to  you  !  Shoot  hard,  and  shoot  to  hit." 

"  How  cool  and  confident  he  is  !  I  wish  I  had 
half  his  courage,"  thought  Bob  as  he  ordered  his 
men  into  their  saddles,  following  it  up  with  the 
commands,  "  Forward  !  Trot !  gallop !" 

The  troopers  fell  into  line  as  they  moved  off,  and 


MORE   BAD    LUCK    FOR   MR.  WEXT WORTH.    325 

a  few  yards  in  advance  of  them  rode  George  and 
Bob.  The  former  could  easily  have  taken  the  lead 
if  he  had  desired  to  do  so,  but,  knowing  that  he  did 
not  command  the  squad,  he  curbed  his  impatience  as 
well  as  he  could  and  kept  close  by  his  friend's  side. 
The  troopers  unslung  their  carbines,  George  made 
ready  his  Winchester,  while  Bob,  who  believed  as 
firmly  in  the  virtues  of  "cold  steel J1  as  did  the 
gallant  officer  whom  he  afterward  accompanied  on 
his  last  memorable  march,  drew  his  sabre.  All  on 
a  sudden  the  firing  ceased,  and  when  the  troopers 
rode  over  the  brow  of  a  ridge  a  few  minutes  later, 
they  saw  a  thin  blue  smoke  arising  from  the  squat 
ter's  cabin,  and  that  told  them  more  than  they  want 
ed  to  know.  George  was  both  astonished  and  en 
raged  at  the  sight — astonished  to  know7  that  the 
raiders  would  stop  during  one  of  their  marauding 
expeditions,  when  haste  was  so  necessary,  to  attack 
and  burn  so  humble  a  dwelling  as  the  abode  of  the 
squatter,  and  enraged  to  see  that  they  had  been  suc 
cessful  enough  to  do  even  that.  There  was  a  crowd 
of  Mexicans  around  the  building,  and  others  with 
horses  were  standing  close  by. 

"  Gobble  the  horses,  Bob/7  said  George,  who  was 
so  highly  excited  that  he  could  scarcely  speak,  "and 


326  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

then  you  can  ride  down  and  capture  the  raiders  at 
your  leisure/' 

Bob  caught  the  idea  in  an  instant.  Turning  in 
his  saddle,  he  waved  his  sabre  over  his  head,  but 
instead  of  giving  the  command  "  Charge !"  he  ef 
fectually  closed  the  mouths  of  his  followers,  who 
had  already  opened  their  lips  and  drawn  in  a  long 
breath  preparatory  to  giving  vent  to  their  favorite 
yell,  by  saying  in  a  low  tone,  "  Silence !" 

Bob  did  not  know  whether  or  not  this  order 
had  ever  before  been  given  during  a  charge,  and, 
what  was  more,  he  did  not  care.  His  object  was 
to  cut  the  men  who  were  lingering  about  the  burn 
ing  cabin  oif  from  their  horses,  and  in  order  to  do 
that  he  must  get  as  close  as  he  could  to  them  be 
fore  he  was  discovered. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

CONCLUSION. 

men  about  the  cabin  were  so  engrossed  in 
their  work  of  destruction,  and  the  horse-guards 
were  so  intent  on  watching  them,  that  Bob's  ad 
vance  was  not  discovered  until  he  and  his  followers 
were  within  less  than  two  hundred  yards  of  the 
cabin.  So  entirely  unexpected  was  their  appear 
ance  that  for  a  moment  the  cattle-thieves  were 
struck  motionless  with  astonishment ;  then  they 
recovered  their  power  of  action,  and  those  who 
were  on  foot  made  a  rush  for  their  horses.  Some 
succeeded  in  reaching  them,  but  others  did  not. 
Two  or  three  of  them  fell  before  the  carbines  of 
the  troopers,  who  opened  a  hot  fire  as  soon  as  they 
saw  that  they  were  discovered,  and  the  horse-guards, 
believing  that  the  attacking  party  was  backed  up  by 
a  large  force  of  soldiers  which  was  close  at  hand, 
instantly  put  spurs  to  their  nags  and  galloped  off, 

327 


328  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

taking  the  loose  horses  with  them  and  leaving  their 
companions  to  look  out  for  themselves. 

"  Throw  down  and  throw  up,  Greasers !"  com 
manded  Corporal  Owens  as  he  dashed  up  to  the 
cabin  swinging  his  sabre  over  his  head;  and  the 
order,  which  meant,  "Throw  down  your  weapons 
and  throw  up  your  hands,"  was  obeyed  by  five 
sullen  fellows,  who  muttered  Spanish  oaths  be 
tween  their,  teeth  and  looked  mad  enough  to  do 
almost  anything. 

There  was  no  fight  at  all.  If  there  had  been 
a  shot  fired  at  the  troopers,  they  didn't  know  it. 
The  party  that  had  gone  off  with  the  horses  out 
numbered  Bob's,  and  could,  beyond  a  doubt,  have 
driven  them  off  the  field  if  they  had  only  thought 
so  ;  but  their  surprise  was  complete,  and,  more  than 
that,  they  were  demoralized.  The  presence  of  the 
troopers  they  regarded  as  part  of  a  preconcerted 
plan  to  cut  them  off  from  the  river,  and  that 
frightened  them  more  than  Bob's  sudden  on 
slaught. 

"Still  another  feather  for  your  cap,  Corporal 
Owens/'  said  George,  after  he  and  Loring  and  a 
few  others  had  taken  a  shot  or  two  apiece  at  the 
retreating  cattle-thieves,  "and  nobody  hurt  on  our 


CONCLUSION.  329 

side,  either.  Now  I —  What  are  you  doing  here  ? 
Is  this  the  way  you  keep  your  promise  ?" 

These  questions  were  addressed  to  one  of  the 
prisoners,  who  took  off  his  sombrero  and  scratched 
his  head  as  if  he  were  trying  to  stir  up  his  ideas  so 
that  he  could  make  some  reply  to  these  peremptory 
interrogations. 

"  Springer,"  continued  George,  slowly,  "  what  are 
you  doing  here?  Where's  the  squatter?" 

"  In  there,"  replied  the  cattle-thief,  jerking  his 
head  toward  the  cabin,  which  was  now  fairly  ablaze 
and  sending  out  so  much  heat  that  the  troopers 
were  obliged  to  draw  away  from  it.  "  He  never 
would  have  touched  him,  Fletcher  wouldn't,  if  he 
had  kept  in  the  house  an'  left  us  alone;  but  he 
plumped  one  of  us  over  when  we  fust  came  up ; 
an'  this  here  is  the  consequence,"  added  Springer, 
nodding  his  head  toward  the  cabin  again. 

George  knew  why  it  was  that  the  cattle-thieves 
had  stopped  to  destroy  the  squatter's  house.  He 
had  killed  one  of  their  number,  and  they,  in  turn, 
had  killed  him  after  a  hard  fight,  and  it  was  now 
too  late  to  recover  his  body  or  to  save  a  single 
thing  the  cabin  contained. 

"  So  this  is  the  fellow  who  twice  befriended  you, 


330  GEORGE  AT  THE   FO11T. 

is  it?"  said  Bob,  who  was  surprised  to  hear  George 
call  one  of  the  prisoners  by  name.  "Don't  you 
think  it  would  be  a  good  plan  to  chuck  him  into 
the  fire  too?" 

"/  do,"  said  Loring  fiercely. 

Springer  drew  a  little  nearer  to  George  for  pro 
tection. 

"  I  didn't  have  any  hand  in  it,"  said  he  earn 
estly — "  honor  bright,  I  didn't.  I  can  explain 
everything,  so  that  you  can  see  that  I  am  not  to 
blame  for  being  here." 

"Carey,"  exclaimed  Bob,  "go  back  to  Mr. 
Went  worth  and  give  him  his  choice  between  tak 
ing  care  of  himself  and  going  to  the  fort  with  us. 
Hurry  up,  now. — If  I  only  had  a  spade  or  two,  I 
would  make  these  prisoners  bury  their  dead  com 
rades." 

"  Springer,"  said  George,  "  can  these  friends  of 
yours  understand  English?" 

The  cattle-thief  replied  that  they  could  not ;  they 
were  all  Mexicans. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  for  I  want  to  ask  you  a 
few  questions  before  you  explain  how  you  came  to 
be  here.  Did  Fletcher  have  his  whole  band  with 
him  to-night?" 


CONCLUSION.  331 

u  "Not  half  of  ?em,"  was  the  reply ;  "  he  had  only 
about  thirty  men." 

"  How  many  has  he  in  all  ?" 

"  Two  hundred  or  so." 

"Does  he  still  make  his  head-quarters  at  the 
Don's  ranche?" 

"Yes;  but  look  here,  Mr.  George/7  said  Springer 
earnestly ;  "  if  you  are  goin'  over  there  after  him, 
be  mighty  careful.  You  know  what  sort  of  a  look 
ing  place  that  ranche  is — all  stone,  you  know — an7 
them  fellows  is  all  old  soldiers,  an'  they'll  fight 
awful." 

George  nodded  his  head  as  if  to  say  that  he 
knew  all  about  that,  and  spent  some  minutes  in 
questioning  the  prisoner  in  regard  to  the  road  that 
led  to  the  ranche,  while  Bob  sat  by  on  his  horse 
and  listened.  By  the  time  George  had  heard  all 
he  wanted  to  know,  and  Springer  had  told  how  he 
had  been  arrested  by  the  officer  at  Eagle  Pass  and 
rescued  by  Fletcher,  Carey  came  back. 

"Mr.  Wentworth  will  take  care  of  himself," 
reported  the  trooper.  "  He  says  that  if  he  went  to 
the  fort  he  would  have  to  come  back  to  Holrnes's 
ranche,  anyway — he  is  going  to  make  his  home 
there  for  a  while,  for  he  and  Holmes  were  boys 


332  GEORGE   AT  THE  FOKT. 

together — and  so  he  might  just  as  well  go  there  in 
the  first  place,  and  save  time  and  travelling.  He 
sent  his  best  wishes  to  everybody,  and  hopes  we 
will  catch  all  the  scoundrels  who  wiped  out  the 
squatter." 

"  I  wish  we  could/7  said  Bob,  facing  about  in  his 
saddle  and  gazing  in  the  direction  in  which  the 
thieves  had  retreated ;  "  but  we  have  five  prisoners 
to  take  care  of,  and  so  our  hands  are  tied." 

"You  just  ought  to  have  seen  him,  corporal," 
continued  Carey.  "  He  had  thrown  his  three 
horses  in  a  sort  of  triangle  by  tying  their  feet 
together  and  tripping  them  up  in  some  way,  and 
there  he  lay  with  his  boys  behind  his  living  breast 
works,  all  ready  for  a  fight.  Grit  to  the  last, 
wasn't  he?  When  I  asked  him  why  he  hadn't 
mounted  and  dug  out  as  soon  as  we  left,  he  said 
that  that  wouldn't  have  been  safe,  for  he  might 
have  run  right  in  among  the  Greasers  before  he 
knew  it." 

"Well,  boys,"  said  Bob,  gazing  sorrowfully  at 
the  glowing  bed  of  coals  that  covered  the  site 
of  the  squatter's  cabin,  "  there  is  nothing  more 
we  can  do  here,  and  so  we  will  make  a  break 
for  the  fort." 


CONCLUSION.  333 

"  Look  here,  corporal/'  said  one  of  the  troopers : 
"  if  you  are  going  to  make  us  carry  double  with 
those  dirty  Greasers,  I  am  going  to  kick." 

"  Don't  you  worry/'  answered  Bob.  "  I  shouldn't 
do  it  myself,  and  of  course  I  sha'n't  ask  you  to  do 
it.  They'll  have  to  walk. — Springer,  draw  these 
Mexican  gentlemen  up  in  line." 

Springer  gave  the  necessary  order  in  Spanish, 
and  it  was  sullenly  obeyed. 

"  Just  remind  them,  Springer,  that  if  they  don't 
step  faster  than  that  somebody  may  hasten  their 
movements  with  a  prod  from  the  point  of  a  sabre," 
said  Bob  angrily.  "  We  are  in  no  humor  to  stand 
a  great  deal  of  nonsense  from  them.  Now,  right- 
face  them;  that's  better. — Fall  in  around  them, 
squad,  four  on  each  flank  and  four  in  the  rear. 
Forward,  march ! — Now,  George,  which  way  is 
the  fort  from  here?" 

"Off  there,"  replied  George,  "  but  I  am  going 
to  take  you  to  the  river-trail." 

"What  for?" 

"  So  that  you  can  get  something  to  eat." 

If  they  had  been  a  little  farther  down  the  river, 
say  about  twenty-five  miles,  George  would  have 
taken  them  to  his  own  house.  It  would  have 


334  GEORGE   AT   THE   FOKT. 

given  him  no  little  pleasure  to  entertain  these 
companions  of  a  long,  toilsome  and  dangerous 
scout  under  his  own  roof;  but  of  course  he  could 
not  think  of  leading  them  out  of  their  way  in 
order  to  do  it.  They  found  plenty  to  eat  after 
they  reached  the  river-trail,  but  the  ranchemen  at 
whose  houses  they  halted  could  give  them  no 
information  concerning  the  raiders.  They  had 
been  on  that  side  of  the  river,  and  had  gone 
back  empty-handed,  and  that  was  all  the  ranche 
men  knew  about  the  matter.  This  made  it  plain 
that  Bob's  gallant  dash  had  not  been  without  its 
effect.  It  had  frightened  the  thieves  so  thorough 
ly  that  they  dared  not  stop  to  pick  up  any  of  the 
cattle  they  found  in  their  way. 

Bob  and  his  troopers  camped  that  night  near 
a  farm-house  whose  owner  was  so  delighted  to  see 
the  five  prisoners  they  had  brought  with  them,  and 
to  learn  of  the  success  that  had  attended  them  ever 
since  Captain  Clinton  sent  them  off  by  themselves, 
that  he  insisted  on  giving  them  a  seat  at  his  table. 
The  next  morning  he  gave  them  a  breakfast ;  but 
the  first  squad  who  went  in — which  included  Bob 
and  George — had  scarcely  taken  possession  of  their 
chairs  when  one  of  the  sentries  was  heard  calling 


CONCLUSION.  335 

lustily  for  the  corporal  of  the  guard.  Bob  excused 
himself  and  ran  out,  only  to  return  again  almost 
immediately  and  startle  everybody  with  the  order, 
"  Boots  and  saddles  !"  George  jumped  up  from  the 
table,  wondering  what  was  the  matter.  When  he 
reached  the  porch  he  found  out.  About  a  mile  up 
the  trail  was  a  long  column  of  blue-coals  coming 
down  at  a  sweeping  trot. 

"  They  are  our  boys,  and  they  are  after  the 
Greasers,"  exclaimed  Bob,  as  George  came  down 
the  steps.  "It's  lucky  we  are  here,  for  you  are 
the  very  man  they  want  if  they  are  going  across 
the  river. — Catch  up,  boys,  and  fall  in  just  as  we 
do  when  we  are  on  the  march,  only  face  to  the 
left,  so  as  to  front  the  column  when  it  comes 
up." 

If  we  have  a  reader  who  is  familiar  with  cav 
alry  tactics,  he  will  have  discovered,  long  before 
this  time,  that  Corporal  Owens  was  not  at  all  par 
ticular  as  to  the  orders  he  gave,  provided  he  could 
make  his  men  act  to  suit  him.  When  in  the 
presence  of  his  superiors  he  always  gave  the 
proper  commands,  in  order  to  save  himself  from 
the  reproof  that  would  have  promptly  followed 
the  slightest  departure  from  the  tactics;  but  when 


336  GEORGE   AT  THE   FORT. 

he  was  in  command  of  a  scon  ting- party  he  was 
decidedly  free  and  easy.  Even  an  old  trooper 
might  have  been  puzzled  over  this  last  order,  but 
the  men  who  had  marched  with  him  so  many 
miles  were  quick  to  catch  his  meaning  and  prompt 
to  carry  out  his  wishes;  so  that  when  the  whole 
available  cavalry  force  of  Fort  Lamoine,  num 
bering  two  hundred  men,  came  sweeping  by  the 
farm-house  a  few  minutes  later,  with  Captain  Clin 
ton  riding  at  the  head,  they  were  astonished  to  see 
Bob's  little  squad  drawn  up  in  a  hollow  square, 
with  their  prisoners  in  the  centre.  Of  late  there 
had  been  a  good  many  anxious  inquiries  made 
concerning  these  very  men,  and  here  they  were, 
safe  and  sound,  and,  wonderful  to  tell,  with  more 
prisoners  to  show  what  good  soldiers  they  were. 

"Three  cheers  for  the  'Brindles/  the  old  reli 
ables  !"  shouted  the  sergeant-major ;  and  the  yells 
that  arose  from  two  hundred  pairs  of  strong  lungs 
could  have  been  heard  a  long  distance  away. 

George  lifted  his  cap  in  response  to  a  nod  of  rec 
ognition  from  Captain  Clinton,  and  in  obedience  to 
a  sign  from  him  rode  over  to  his  side;  but  Bob 
and  his  men  sat  in  their  saddles  as  stiff  as  so 
many  posts,  looking  straight  to  the  front.  When 


CONCLUSION.  337 

the  next  call  for  cheers  came,  however,  it  almost 
knocked  Bob  over. 

"  Three  cheers  for  Sergeant  Owens !"  shouted  a 
"Brindle;"  and  then  came  three  more  yells,  fol 
lowed  by  a  "tiger"  as  loud  and  piercing  as  an 
Indian  war-whoop.  During  his  absence  Bob  had 
been  promoted  in  general  orders  for  gallantry,  his 
pay  as  sergeant  to  begin  on  the  day  he  rescued  Mr. 
Wentworth's  boys  from  the  hands  of  the  Kiowas. 

Presently  the  bugle  sounded,  and  the  column 
came  to  a  halt.  The  officers  at  once  fell  out  and 
crowded  around  George,  who,  in  as  few  words  as 
possible,  told  Captain  Clinton  what  Bob's  squad 
had  been  doing  since  the  captain  left  them  back 
there  on  the  borders  of  the  Staked  Plains.  The 
officers  were  all  very  much  pleased,  especially  Lieu 
tenant  Earle,  who  for  a  moment  threw  off  his  dig 
nity  and  rode  up  to  thank  the^members  of  the 
squad  which  had  brought  so  much  credit  upon 
the  troop  he  commanded. 

"Sergeant/7  said  he,  extending  his  hand — which 
Bob  accepted  after  running  his  own  hand  through 
his  sword-knot  and  dropping  his  sabre  by  his  side 
— "I  congratulate  you  and  all  your  men.  You 
have  done  well." 

22 


338  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

Bob  managed  to  stammer  out  something  about 
being  glad  to  have  pleased  the  lieutenant,  and  the 
latter,  after  ordering  them  to  sheathe  their  sabres, 
went  on  to  tell  how  he  had  followed  the  Indians 
in  his  front  until  his  men  and  horses  were  nearly 
exhausted  and  almost  dead  for  want  of  water,  and 
how  he  had  finally  returned  to  the  fort  a  day  be 
hind  the  column,  utterly  disgusted  with  his  want 
of  success,  to  find  that  some  of  his  own  troop  had 
carried  off  the  honors  of  the  scout.  He  was  proud 
to  command  such  men. 

Meanwhile,  Captain  Clinton  and  George  were 
engaged  in  an  earnest  consultation.  The  former 
told  the  young  scout  that  he  been  sent  out  to 
punish  the  raiders  who  had  just  recrossed  the  river, 
and  that  he  was  going  to  do  it,  too.  He  was  going 
.to  drive  them  out  of  their  stronghold,  and  George 
must  show  him  The  way  to  it.  His  men  had  al 
ready  had  their  coffee,  but  as  George  and  the  rest 
of  Bob's  squad  had  had  none,  they  might  stay  there 
at  the  farm-house  until  they  had  eaten  the  break 
fast  that  had  been  prepared  for  them,  and  then  ride 
on  rapidly  and  overtake  the  column,  which  would 
move  down  the  trail  at  a  trot.  This  having  been 
decided  upon,  a  squad  was  made  up  of  details  from 


CONCLUSION.  339 

the  different  companies  to  take  charge  of  the  pris 
oners,  and  the  command  given  to  a  corporal,  who 
was  instructed  to  take  them  to  the  fort.  Then  the 
column  rode  on,  the  corporal  marched  off  with 
his  captives,  and  Bob  and  his  troopers  went  back 
to  the  farm-house  to  eat  their  breakfast. 

During  the  meal  George  Ackerman,  who  had 
thus  far  been  one  of  the  gayest  of  the  party,  was 
very  silent  and  thoughtful.  It  was  almost  impos 
sible  for  any  one  to  get  a  word  out  of  him.  His 
face  was  as  white  as  a  sheet,  but  although  every 
body  noticed  it,  Bob  Owens  was  the  only  one  who 
could  account  for  it.  When  they  had  satisfied 
their  appetites  they  went  out  to  hold  the  horses, 
so  that  the  rest  of  the  squad  could  come  in,  and 
George  and  the  new  sergeant,  who  was  not  a  little 
elated  over  his  unexpected  promotion,  led  their 
nags  off  on  one  side,  so  that  they  could  converse 
without  being  overheard. 

"  I  know  just  how  it  is,"  said  Bob,  "  for  I  have 
felt  so  ever  since  Captain  Clinton  ordered  me  to 
follow  up  that  trail.  When  you  know  that  a  good 
many  lives  besides  your  own  depend  upon  a  de 
cision  you  may  have  to  make  in  an  instant  of 
time,  I  tell  you  it  is  rather  trying  to  a  fellow's 


340  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

nerves.  I  used  to  envy  the  colonel  and  all  the 
other  high  officers  in  the  garrison,  but  I  wouldn't 
give  up  my  little  sergeant's  berth  for  double  the 
money  they  make.  There's  too  much  responsibil 
ity  connected  with  the  positions  they  hold." 

George  told  himself  that  that  was  just  the  ob 
jection  to  his  own  position.  He  began  to  see  that 
being  a  scout  meant  something.  There  were  two 
hundred  men  in  Captain  Clinton's  command,  and 
what  if  they  should  all  be  sacrificed  by  some  blun 
der  on  his  part? 

As  soon  as  the  rest  of  the  troopers  had  eaten 
breakfast,  and  Bob  had  thanked  the  farmer  for  his 
hospitality,  the  troopers  sprang  into  their  saddles 
and  galloped  after  the  column.  When  they  over 
took  it  George  rode  up  beside  the  captain,  and  the 
Brindles,  without  creating  the  least  confusion,  fell 
into  their  usual  places — all  except  Bob  Owens,  who 
did  not  belong  in  the  ranks  any  longer.  Being  sec 
ond  sergeant,  his  place  was  in  the  rear  of  his  com 
pany,  "  opposite  the  left  file  of  the  rear  four ;"  and 
that  was  the  position  he  fell  into  as  soon  as  he  had 
reported  the  arrival  of  his  squad  to  the  lieutenant. 

"  Well,  Acker  man,"  said  Captain  Clinton  as  the 
boy  galloped  up  beside  him,  "  we  are  in  your  hands. 


CONCLUSION.  341 

We  want  to  go  to  the  nearest  ford,  and  we  don't 
want  to  get  there  before  dark.'7 

"  Very  good,  sir.  If  you  will  move  the  column 
in  that  direction,"  said  George,  indicating  a  "  right 
oblique,"  "you  will  cut  off  twenty  miles,  and  be 
sides,  you  can  walk  all  the  way,  and  save  your 
horses  for  a  rapid  eighteen-mile  ride  that  must 
come  as  soon  as  we  cross  the  river." 

We  need  not  dwell  upen  the  incidents  of  that 
day's  march,  or  enlarge  upon  the  feeling  of  sus 
pense  that  George  Ackerman  experienced  during 
that  " rapid  eighteen-mile  ride"  to  which  he  had 
referred.  It  will  be  enough  to  say  that  they  cross 
ed  the  ford  just  after  dark  in  safety  ;  that  George, 
Without  the  least  difficulty,  found  the  narrow  road 
that  led  from  the  river  to  Don  Miguel's  ranchc ; 
that  at  his  suggestion  the  column  marched  "  right 
by  twos,"  which  changed  the  troopers  from  four  to 
two  abreast,  Captain  Clinton  and  George  riding  at 
the  head ;  that  they  moved  as  silently  as  possible, 
so  as  not  to  alarm  any  of  the  people  living  along 
the  route,  and  rapidly,  in  order  to  reach  the  ranche 
before  the  cattle- thieves  could  receive  notice  of 
their  approach ;  and  that  at  the  end  of  two  hours 
they  galloped  into  the  valley  and  saw  Fletcher's 


342  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

stronghold  in  plain  view  before  them.  A  single 
glance  at  it  showed  them  that  they  had  arrived 
just  in  the  nick  of  time.  The  courtyard  was 
lighted  up  with  lanterns,  excited  men  were  moving 
to  and  fro,  loud  voices  were  heard  shouting  out 
words  of  command,  and  the  whole  interior  of  the 
building  presented  a  scene  of  the  wildest  commotion. 
Some  watchful  friend  had  got  ahead  of  the  column 
and  warned  the  thieves^  and  they  were  gathering 
up  their  plunder  preparatory  to  beating  a  hasty  re 
treat.  They  were  on  the  watch  too,  for  the  column 
had  scarcely  made  its  appearance  when  a  sentry 
called  out,  "  Who  is  it?"  (equivalent  to  "Who  goes 
there?"),  following  up  his  challenge  with  the  cry 
of  "The  Americans!  the  Americans!" 

George  afterward  said  that  he  never  had  a  very 
clear  idea  of  what  happened  during  the  next  few 
minutes.  He  remembered  that  he  heard  the  bugle 
sound  a  charge  ;  that  he  dashed  through  the  arched 
stone  gateway  at  headlong  speed  side  by  side  with 
Captain  Clinton  ;  and  that  the  rapid  discharge  of 
firearms  rang  in  his  ears,  accompanied  by  the  cries 
of  the  cattle-thieves,  who  fled  in  every  direction, 
and  such  cheers  and  yells  from  the  troopers  as  he 
had  never  heard  before.  When  he  came  to  himself, 


CONCLUSION.  343 

his  horse,  which  seemed  to  enter  fully  into  the  spir 
it  of  the  matter,  was  dancing  about  in  front  of  a 
pile  of  forage  that  filled  one  end  of  the  courtyard. 
When  George  saw  it  he  threw  himself  from  his 
saddle  and  caught  up  a  lantern. 

"  I  have  seen  the  inside  of  this  hole  for  the  last 
time,"  said  he  to  himself.  "  If  Fletcher  lives  to 
make  a  prisoner  of  me,  he  shall  not  bring  me  to 
this  ranche,  and  neither  shall  he  harbor  here  to 
raid  on  my  stock." 

As  these  thoughts  passed  through  the  boy's  mind 
he  smashed  the  glass  globe  of  the  lantern  with  one 
savage  kick,  and  picking  up  the  lamp  applied  the 
flame  to  the  pile  of  forage.  Pie  set  it  on  fire  in 
half  a  dozen  different  places,  and  then  turned  and 
threw  the  lamp  into  one  of  the  nearest  rooms,  which 
seemed  to  be  well  filled  with  something.  When  he 
had  done  that  he  was  frightened.  What  if  it  was 
powder  in  there?  But,  fortunately,  it  wasn't.  It 
was  some  combustible  matter  that  blazed  up  fierce 
ly,  sending  huge  volumes  of  flames  out  of  the  door 
and  lighting  up  the  courtyard,  which  was  now  oc 
cupied  only  by  American  troopers.  The  cattle- 
thieves  had  behaved  just  as  they  did  when  Bob 
Owens  so  gallantly  attacked  a  portion  of  their 


344  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

number  at  the  squatter's  cabin.  They  fled  in  hot 
haste,  making  their  escape  by  the  roof,  by  doors 
whose  existence  George  never  dreamed  of,  and  by 
squeezing  themselves  through  the  narrow  openings 
that  served  the  ranche  in  the  place  of  windows. 
And,  strange  to  tell,  there  was  no  one  injured  on 
either  side.  Having  satisfied  himself  on  this  point 
by  searching  all  the  rooms  to  make  sure  that  there 
were  no  dead  or  wounded  men  in  them,  the  captain 
ordered  his  troopers  into  the  saddle  and  departed 
as  rapidly  and  silently  as  he  had  come.  George 
looked  over  his  shoulder  now  and  then,  and  when 
he  saw  the  thick  clouds  of  smoke  that  arose  in  the 
air  growing  thicker  and  blacker,  he  told  himself 
that  he  had  made  sure  work  of  the  old  ranche,  and 
that  it  would  never  serve  the  cattle-thieves  for  a 
harboring-place  again. 

Of  course  there  was  an  "  investigation  "  made  by 
the  Mexican  government,  but  if  it  ever  amounted 
to  anything,  George  never  heard  of  it.  The  expedi 
tion  certainly  had  a  moral  effect,  and  no  doubt  that 
was  just  what  the  department  commander  wanted. 
A  body  of  Mexican  troops  was  ordered  to  the  river 
almost  immediately,  and  after  that  the  raiders  were 
by  no  means  as  bold  as  they  had  formerly  been. 


CONCLUSION.  345 

They  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  now  and  then  lower 
down,  toward  Eagle  Pass,  but  the  troopers  there 
were  on  the  alert,  and  after  they  had  thrashed  the 
thieves  a  few  times  on  their  own  ground,  and  some 
of  their  leaders  had  been  arrested  by  the  Mexican 
authorities,  the  Texans  began  to  feel  comparatively 
safe. 

George  Ackerman  was  kept  actively  employed 
at  the  fort  much  longer  than  he  thought  he  would 
be  when  he  first  went  there.  By  order  of  Colonel 
Brown  he  crossed  the  river  on  several  occasions  dis 
guised  in  his  Mexican  suit,  and  he  always  brought 
back  some  information  concerning  the  raiders ;  and 
once  he  came  so  near  being  captured  by  his  old 
enemy,  Fletcher,  that  it  was  a  wonder  how  he  es 
caped.  But  long  before  this  happened  Gus  Rob- 
bins  had  received  his  discharge  as  a  minor,  and 
gone  back  to  Foxboro',  a  wiser  if  not  a  happier 
boy  •  Bristow  had  found  his  way  into  the  military 
prison  at  Fort  Leavenworth  ;  and  the  cattle-thieves 
whom  Bob  Owens  had  captured  at  the  squatter's 
cabin  had  been  turned  over  to  the  civil  authorities. 
George  did  all  he  could  to  secure  Springer's  re 
lease,  but  his  efforts  were  unavailing,  and  with  his 
companions  he  was  sentenced  to  the  penitentiary 


346  GEORGE  AT  THE  FORT. 

for  a  long  term  of  years.  Mr.  Wentworth  had 
come  out  all  right.  With  the  aid  of  his  friend, 
Mr.  Holmes,  he  had  gathered  up  all  his  cattle  that 
had  been  stampeded  by  the  Mexican  raiders,  and  re 
built  his  ranche  in  a  more  substantial  manner,  and 
he  and  his  boys  made  it  a  point  to  visit  the  post 
very  frequently  to  see  the  men  who  had  rendered 
them  such  signal  service. 

The  months  wore  on,  the  raids  in  Colonel  Brown's 
district  grew  less  and  less  frequent  until  they  ceased 
altogether,  and  then  the  colonel  told  George  that  he 
might  go  home  if  he  so  desired.  He  did  desire  it, 
for  he  was  growing  tired  of  life  among  the  soldiers, 
and  besides,  he  knew  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time 
for  him  to  remain  at  the  fort  when  he  could  no 
longer  be  of  any  use  there.  So,  after  taking  leave 
of  the  officers  and  of  the  men  who  had  accompa 
nied  him  on  his  expeditions,  he  mounted  his  horse, 
took  his  pack-mule  by  the  halter  and  set  out. 
The  troopers,  who  had  assembled  at  the  gate  to  see 
him  go,  cheered  him  lustily  as  he  rode  through 
their  ranks,  and  George  carried  away  with  him  the 
assurance  that  their  feelings  toward  him  were  very 
unlike  those  with  which  they  had  regarded  him 
when  he  first  made  his  appearance  at  the  fort. 


CONCLUSION.  347 

Sergeant  Owens  never  lost  the  position  he  held 
in  the  estimation  of  both  officers  and  men.  He 
did  his  duty  faithfully,  never  squandered  a  cent 
of  his  pay  at  the  sutler's  store,  and  at  last  had 
the  satisfaction  of  telling  himself  that  he  had  re 
funded  every  cent  of  the  Mail  Carrier's  money,  in 
terest  included.  He  kept  up  a  regular  correspond 
ence  with  his  father,  who  told  him  he  was  proud 
of  the  record  he  had  won,  and  said  everything  he 
could  to  encourage  him.  One  thing  that  pleased 
Bob  was  the  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  everybody 
in  and  about  Rochdale  wras  familiar  with  his  historv. 

m 

They  knew  just  what  he  had  done  when  the  steamer 
Sam  Kendall  was  burned,  and  the  particulars  of 
his  exploit  on  the  Staked  Plains  had  been  pub 
lished  in  the  papers.  He  would  go  home  a  hero, 
instead  of  sneaking  back  like  a  thiel  in  the  night; 
and  that  is  something  that  runaway  boys  don't 
often  do. 

George  Ackerman  was  glad  to  get  back  to  his 
ranche  again.  He  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  quiet 
life  he  led  there,  it  was  so  different  from  the  life 
of  bustle  and  excitement  he  had  led  at  the  fort. 
One  bright  moonlight  night,  while  he  was  pacing 
up  and  down  the  porch,  thinking  over  old  times, 


348  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

and  wondering  what  Bob  Owens  and  the  rest  of 
the  boys  were  doing  at  the  fort,  he  was  aroused 
from  the  reverie  into  which  he  had  fallen  by  the 
sound  of  horses'  hoofs  on  the  trail.  He  stopped 
abruptly,  and  after  listening  a  moment  heard  the 
clanking  of  sabres  mingling  with  the  sound  of 
the  horses'  feet.  Greatly  surprised,  George  de 
scended  the  steps,  and  walking  out  to  the  trail 
discovered  a  long  line  of  horsemen  approaching. 
There  was  no  need  that  he  should  ask  who  they 
were  or  where  they  came  from,  for  as  soon  as  they 
saw  him  they  greeted  him  vociferously.  They 
were  troopers  from  Fort  Lamoine.  They  rode  on 
past  the  ranche,  but  two  men  who  were  riding  at 
the  head  of  the  column  turned  off  and  came  up 
to  him.  One  was  Mr.  Gilbert  and  the  other  was 
Captain  Clinton. 

"  Why,  captain,"  exclaimed  George,  "  this  is  an 
unexpected  pleasure.  May  I  ask  where  you  are 
going?  You'll  not  march  any  farther  to-night?" 

"No,  we're  not  going  any  farther,"  was  the 
answer.  "  I  was  about  to  camp  near  Mr.  Gilbert's 
ranche,  but  when  I  happened  to  mention  your 
name,  he  told  me  that  you  lived  only  ten  miles 
away;  so  I  came  on,  thinking  that  perhaps  you 


CONCLUSION.  349 

would  like  to  see  the  boys  again  for  the  last  time. 
We're  going  up  to  Fort  Lincoln  to  join  General 
Terry/7  continued  the  captain,  as  he  dismounted 
and  gave  his  horse  up  to  one  of  George's  herds 
men.  "That's  in  Dakota,  you  know.  A  deter 
mined — and,  I  hope,  successful — effort  is  about  to 
be  made  to  crush  that  old  rascal,  Sitting  Bull,  by 
throwing  three  strong  columns  upon  him — one  un 
der  Crook  from  the  south,  another  under  Gibbon 
from  the  west,  and  the  third. under  Terry  from  the 
east.  There's  where  your  old  friends  the  'Brindles' 
are  going.  I  suppose  it  doesn't  make  any  differ 
ence  to  you  where  we  camp?" 

"Of  course  not,"  replied  George.  "There  is 
plenty  of  grass  and  water  close  at  hand.  Come 
into  the  house,  both  of  you.  I  want  to  hear  all 
about  that  great  expedition." 

Were  there  not  exciting  times  in  the  ranche 
that  night?  and  didn't  George  find  the  greatest 
satisfaction  in  acting  as  host  to  the  men  with  whom 
he  had  so  often  messed  at  the  fort?  The  supper 
was  the  best  the  house  could  afford,  and  all  the 
officers  in  the  column  sat  down  to  it.  When  they 
had  talked  themselves  out,  and  were  about  to  go 
to  camp,  George  asked  and  obtained  permission 


350  GEORGE   AT   THE   FORT. 

for  Sergeant  Owens  and  all  the  members  of  his 
old  squad  to  come  in  and  visit  him.  Then  there 
was  another  supper  to  be  eaten  and  another  long 
conversation  to  be  had,  and  the  consequence  was 
that  when  reveille  was  sounded  no  one  in  that 
ranche  had  had  a  wink  of  sleep. 

Bob  Owens  rode  away  with  his  command  that 
morning,  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  George 
heard  of  him  again.  Pie  left  Fort  Lincoln  with 
General  Terry,  went  off  with  Ouster  on  that  mem 
orable  scout,  and  when  that  officer  divided  his  com 
mand  into  three  detachments,  Sergeant  Owens  was 
one  of  those  who  were  detailed  to  remain  behind 
with  the  packs.  He  heard  all  of  that  terrible 
fight  on  that  bright  Sunday  afternoon  when  Reno 
was  defeated  and  Ouster  fell  with  so  many  of  his 
devoted  followers.  He  took  part  in  the  closing 
scenes  of  it,  for  when  the  packs  were  ordered  up, 
about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  he  was  under 
fire  from  that  time  until  nine,  and  saw  eighteen 
of  his  companions  killed  and  forty-six  wounded. 
He  marched  back  to  Fort  Lincoln  with  the  rem 
nants  of  the  expedition,  which  had  been  whipped  at 
every  point  by  the  wily  old  savage  it  had  hoped 
to  crush,  and  was  ordered  to  Fort  Leavenworth, 


CONCLUSION.  351 

where  he  received  his  honorable  discharge.  Then 
he  went  home,  and  he  is  there  now,  living  on  the 
best  of  terms  with  everybody,  especially  David 
Evans.  Although  he  was  kept  in  the  army  long 
months  beyond  his  time,  he  does  not  complain, 
for  it  gives  him  the  opportunity  to  refer,  when 
speaking  of  his  frontier  experience,  to  the  "  time 
when  he  was  with  Ouster." 

George  Ackerman  is  living  in  his  Texas  home, 
managing  his  own  affairs  with  the  assistance  of 
an  occasional  word  from  Mr.  Gilbert,  and  keeping 
up  a  regular  correspondence  with  his  friend  Bob 
Owens,  whom  he  hopes  some  day  to  see  at  his 
ranche  again.  He  has  never  heard  from  his  un 
cle  John  or  from  Ned  since  he  parted  from  them 
in  Galveston.  George  has  seen  some  stirring  times 
during  his  life,  and  has  learned  how  to  enjoy  him 
self  in  a  quiet  way.  He  has  accumulated  a  large 
fund  of  stories  during  his  travels,  and  takes  pleas 
ure  in  relating  them  to  any  attentive  listener.  Of 
all  the  numerous  adventures  in  which  he  had  borne 
a  part,  he  delights  most  to  talk  about  those  that 
befell  him  during  his  LIFE  AMONG  THE  SOLDIERS. 

THE    END. 


W.  EVERETTE 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below, 
or  on  the  date  to  which  renewed.  Renewals  only: 

Tel.  No.  642-3405 

Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


25  1975 

REG.  C1R.     JUL  1615 


LD21A-40m-3,'72 
(Qll738lO)476-A-82 


General  Library 

University  of  Californii 

Berkeley 


BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


M152541 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


